Harman v. Forssenius, 380 U.S. 528 (1965), was a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court ruled that Virginia's partial elimination of the poll tax violated the Twenty-fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
| Harman v. Forssenius | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Argued March 1–2, 1965 Decided April 27, 1965 | |
| Full case name | Harman v. Forssenius |
| Citations | 380 U.S. 528 (more) 85 S. Ct. 1177; 14 L. Ed. 2d 50; 1965 U.S. LEXIS 1347 |
| Holding | |
| Virginia's law partially eliminating the poll tax violated the Twenty-fourth Amendment. | |
| Court membership | |
| |
| Case opinion | |
| Majority | Warren, joined by unanimous |
Virginia attempted to avoid the effect of the 24th Amendment by creating an "escape clause" to the poll tax. In lieu of paying the poll tax, a prospective voter could apply for a certificate establishing a place of residence in Virginia. The application had to be made six months prior to an election, a measure expected to decrease the number of eligible voters.[1]
In the 1965 Supreme Court decision of Harman v. Forssenius, the Court unanimously found such measures unconstitutional and declared that, for federal elections, "the poll tax is abolished absolutely as a prerequisite to voting, and no equivalent or milder substitute may be imposed."[2]
References
edit- ^ Chadwick, John (January 24, 1964). "Poll Tax Battle Long One". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press.
- ^ Harman v. Forssenius, majority opinion.
External links
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Works related to Harman v. Forssenius at Wikisource- Text of Harman v. Forssenius, 380 U.S. 528 (1965) is available from: Findlaw Justia Library of Congress Oyez (oral argument audio)
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