Veteran Shows 1960 Poll Tax Certificate Before Voting
Loretta Green, 91, wore a shirt displaying her decades-old poll tax exemption while casting her ballot.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Elections
Live Poll
Should voters be required to show photo ID at the polls?
Loretta Green, a 91-year-old Alabama native and Air Force veteran, wore a shirt showing her 1960 poll tax exemption certificate while preparing to vote. A 2024 video of Green in the same shirt went viral again on election day.
Why it matters
Green's shirt highlights that poll taxes once required payment of $2 to $3 to vote, with missed years doubling the cost the following year. Her exemption as a veteran underscores how the requirement was applied unevenly, and her message encourages young people to exercise their voting rights.
The poll tax at the time cost $2 to $3 per year, and a missed year doubled the cost the following year. The article does not specify how many Alabama residents were exempt under the veteran provision in 1960.
The players
Loretta Green
Loretta Green is a 91-year-old Alabama native and Air Force veteran who became an internet sensation during the 2024 election cycle.
The details
Green wore a shirt reading "This Is Why I Vote" with an image of her 1960 poll tax certificate, which exempted her as a veteran. She says schools are no longer teaching this history, so she urges people to learn it and pass it on.
Timeline
1960: Green's poll tax certificates were issued when voting required a fee.
2024: Green's video went viral during the 2024 election cycle.
November 3, 2026: The video resurfaced and went viral again on election day.
Political Context
Poll taxes were used in Southern states, including Alabama, to limit voting until the 24th Amendment abolished them in federal elections. Green's exemption as a veteran shows how such requirements were applied with exceptions.
Green's story shows that voting rules once imposed fees, making the right to vote costly for many. Understanding this history can help voters appreciate the access they have today and why exemptions like Green's mattered.
The takeaway
Green's experience is a reminder that the right to vote was once tied to paying a fee. Learning this history helps voters understand what protections exist today.
Further reading
Explore more on Elections to see how voting access has changed over time.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Al.
Live Poll
Should voters be required to show photo ID at the polls?
