Harper v. Virginia State Board of Elections
United States Supreme Court
383 U.S. 663 (1966)
Relevant factsFree
Virginia's Constitution required the legislature to levy an annual poll tax of up to $1.50 on every resident 21 or older, as a practical prerequisite to voting. Harper (plaintiff), a Virginia resident, sued the state Board of Elections (defendant) in federal district court, arguing the tax violated equal protection; the district court dismissed her complaint, and she appealed directly to the Supreme Court.
IssueFree
Whether a state's poll tax, imposed as a condition of voting in state elections, violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.