Under the 15th Amendment, who cannot be prohibited from voting on basis of race?

• A. The Government
• B. Private individuals
• C. Both private individuals and the government
• D. None

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that the 15th Amendment prohibits governmental actions from denying the right to vote based on race. Its text says the right 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. That makes the constraint directly apply to government actors at both the federal and state levels. So, the entity that cannot prohibit someone from voting on the basis of race is the government itself—the government cannot disenfranchise someone for their race. Private individuals aren’t bound by this specific prohibition in the same way, though other laws can address private discrimination. Therefore, the government is the correct focus of the 15th Amendment’s protection.