poll tax

noun

: a tax of a fixed amount per person levied on adults and often linked to the right to vote

Examples of poll tax in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Upon the basis of these findings, Congress declares that the constitutional right of citizens to vote is denied or abridged in some areas by the requirement of the payment of a poll tax as a precondition to voting. JSTOR Daily, 17 Oct. 2025 Equal Ground Action Fund Executive Director Genesis Robinson told Newsweek that forcing people to pay for documents equates to a poll tax. David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Apr. 2025 However, under the act, many people would have to pay to get copies of their documents, which could result in a pay-to-vote situation akin to a poll tax. William Lambers, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025 But a Venezuelan passport costs more than $300, a price that amounts to a poll tax because few migrants can afford them. John Otis, NPR, 16 Apr. 2024 See All Example Sentences for poll tax

Word History

First Known Use

1692, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of poll tax was in 1692

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Poll tax.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poll%20tax. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

poll tax

noun
: a tax of a fixed amount per adult person that is often linked to the right to vote

Legal Definition

poll tax

noun
ˈpōl-
: a tax of a fixed amount per person levied on adults

More from Merriam-Webster on poll tax

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