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 nameHarman v. Forssenius
Citations380 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
Chief Justice
Earl Warren
Associate Justices
Hugo Black · William O. Douglas
Tom C. Clark · John M. Harlan II
William J. Brennan Jr. · Potter Stewart
Byron White · Arthur Goldberg
Case opinion
MajorityWarren, 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

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  1. ^ Chadwick, John (January 24, 1964). "Poll Tax Battle Long One". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press.
  2. ^ Harman v. Forssenius, majority opinion.
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