▁States ▁or ▁of ▁the ▁Confeder ate ▁States ▁during ▁a ▁time ▁of ▁war . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁found ▁such ▁prov isions ▁un const itution al ▁in ▁Gu inn ▁v . ▁United ▁States ▁( 1 9 1 5 ), ▁states ▁were ▁forced ▁to ▁stop ▁using ▁the ▁grand father ▁cla uses ▁to ▁provide ▁exem ption ▁to ▁liter acy ▁tests . ▁Without ▁the ▁grand father ▁cla uses , ▁tens ▁of ▁thousands ▁of ▁poor ▁Southern ▁whites ▁were ▁dis enf ranch ised ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁As ▁dec ades ▁passed , ▁Southern ▁states ▁t ended ▁to ▁expand ▁the ▁franch ise ▁for ▁poor ▁whites , ▁but ▁most ▁black s ▁could ▁not ▁vote ▁until ▁after ▁passage ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 5 ▁V oting ▁Rights ▁Act . ▁Rat ification ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 4 ▁of ▁the ▁Tw enty - four th ▁Am end ment ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Constitution ▁prohib ited ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁poll ▁tax es ▁in ▁federal ▁elections , ▁but ▁some ▁states ▁continued ▁to ▁use ▁them ▁in ▁state ▁elections . ▁ ▁The ▁ 1 9 6 5 ▁V oting ▁Rights ▁Act ▁had ▁prov isions ▁to ▁protect ▁vot er ▁registration ▁and ▁access ▁to ▁elections , ▁with ▁federal ▁enfor cement ▁and ▁super vision ▁where ▁necessary . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 6 , ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁ruled ▁in ▁Har per ▁v . ▁Virginia ▁Board ▁of ▁E lections ▁that ▁poll ▁tax es ▁could ▁not ▁be ▁used ▁in ▁any ▁elections . ▁This ▁secured ▁the ▁franch ise ▁for ▁most ▁citizens ,