How has the Supreme Court interpreted the right of citizens to vote under the Fifteenth Amendment?

The Supreme Court has generally interpreted the Fifteenth Amendment, which states that the right of citizens to vote “shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude,” as granting citizens the right to vote. The Supreme Court has ruled that the Fifteenth Amendment is not limited to protecting citizens from discrimination based on race; rather, it applies to all citizens regardless of race, gender, age, political beliefs, marital status, or financial standing. In the case Harper v. Virginia State Board of Elections, the Supreme Court held that Virginia’s poll tax violated the Fifteenth Amendment. The Court concluded that though the state could establish requirements for voting such as residency or age, it could not impose additional onerous financial requirements on citizens. The decision struck down the state’s poll tax and firmly established the right of citizens to vote regardless of their financial standing. In addition, the Supreme Court has also emphasized that it is not only the rights of citizens to vote that are protected by the Amendment, but also their right to have their votes counted. In the case Bush v. Gore, the Supreme Court held that the recount of votes in Florida violated the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. By ruling the recount unconstitutional, the Supreme Court protected the right of all citizens to have their votes count regardless of their political beliefs. In sum, the Supreme Court of Washington has interpreted the Fifteenth Amendment to protect citizens’ right to vote and to have their votes count. This interpretation of the Fifteenth Amendment has established a strong guarantee of voting rights for all citizens in the state of Washington.

How has the Supreme Court interpreted the right of citizens to vote under the Fifteenth Amendment?

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