Is the Twenty-Third Amendment only about poll taxes?

Yes, it specifically prohibits the denial of the right to vote in federal elections due to failure to pay any poll tax or other tax.

When was the Twenty-Third Amendment ratified?

It was ratified on January 23, 1964.

Does the Twenty-Third Amendment apply to state elections?

No, initially it only applied to federal elections. However, a subsequent Supreme Court ruling extended the principle to all elections.

Why was the Twenty-Third Amendment necessary?

To eliminate an economic barrier to voting that disproportionately affected poor and minority citizens, particularly in some Southern states.

twenty-third amendment

UK/ˌtwenti θɜːd əˈmendmənt/US/ˌtwɛnti θɜrd əˈmɛndmənt/

Formal, Academic, Legal

My Flashcards

Definition

Meaning

The amendment to the US Constitution that prohibits the denial of voting rights based on non-payment of a poll tax.

The constitutional amendment addressing electoral disenfranchisement tied to economic status; a landmark civil rights provision.

Linguistics

Semantic Notes

Refers specifically to Amendment XXIII of the US Constitution; often cited in historical, legal, and political discourse regarding voting rights.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

Primarily used in American legal/political contexts; UK English would reference it in discussions of US politics.

Connotations

US: historical civil rights milestone, end of poll taxes. UK/International: often cited as example of US constitutional evolution.

Frequency

High frequency in US academic/legal texts; low frequency in general international English.

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong

ratify the twenty-third amendmentthe twenty-third amendment prohibitspassage of the twenty-third amendment

medium

under the twenty-third amendmenttwenty-third amendment rightsbefore the twenty-third amendment

weak

important twenty-third amendmenthistorical twenty-third amendmentconstitutional twenty-third amendment

Grammar

Valency Patterns

The Twenty-Third Amendment + verb (prohibits/ensures/addresses)Subject + ratified/passed + the Twenty-Third Amendment

Vocabulary

Synonyms

Strong

the poll tax amendment

Neutral

Amendment XXIII

Weak

the voting rights amendment

Vocabulary

Antonyms

poll tax lawsvoting restrictions

Usage

Context Usage

Business

Rarely used.

Academic

Used in political science, history, and constitutional law contexts.

Everyday

Very rare outside US political/historical discussion.

Technical

Used in legal documents and scholarly analyses of US constitutional law.

Examples

By Part of Speech

adjective

British English

The Twenty-Third Amendment protections are fundamental.

American English

Twenty-Third Amendment issues were debated for years.

Examples

By CEFR Level

The twenty-third amendment is a law in America.

The twenty-third amendment stopped people from paying to vote.

Ratified in 1964, the Twenty-Third Amendment prohibited the use of poll taxes in federal elections.

Scholars argue that the Twenty-Third Amendment, while eliminating economic barriers, did not fully address systemic disenfranchisement.

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

23rd: '2' vote, '3' free – it took 2/3 of states to make voting free from poll taxes.

Conceptual Metaphor

A KEY to the voting booth; removing a financial LOCK on suffrage.

Watch out

Common Pitfalls

Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)

Avoid literal translation as 'двадцать третье изменение' – use 'двадцать третья поправка' (feminine for 'поправка').
Do not confuse with other numbered amendments; specify 'to the US Constitution'.

Common Mistakes

Using '23th' instead of '23rd'.
Omitting the hyphen in 'twenty-third'.
Capitalizing incorrectly (should be 'Twenty-Third Amendment' when part of proper name).

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap

The Amendment to the US Constitution outlawed poll taxes.

Multiple Choice

What did the Twenty-Third Amendment primarily address?

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

: Yes, it specifically prohibits the denial of the right to vote in federal elections due to failure to pay any poll tax or other tax.
: It was ratified on January 23, 1964.
: No, initially it only applied to federal elections. However, a subsequent Supreme Court ruling extended the principle to all elections.
: To eliminate an economic barrier to voting that disproportionately affected poor and minority citizens, particularly in some Southern states.