Federal Anti-Poll Tax Bills Repeatedly Filibustered in Senate, 1942-1949

The House of Representatives passes anti-poll tax bills in 1942, 1943, 1945, 1947, and 1949. Each time, Southern senators filibuster the bill to death, preventing a vote. Poll taxes — required to vote in eight Southern states — disenfranchise poor Black voters who cannot afford the cumulative multi-year fee. The poll tax is not abolished until the 24th Amendment in 1964 for federal elections, more than two decades after the first House-passed bill.