The Fifteenth Amendment aimed to protect voting rights regardless of race, demanding that legislation should not include racial criteria. However, states employed various indirect tactics to circumvent this law. They implemented measures like poll taxes and literacy tests, claiming these regulations were race-neutral while effectively disenfranchising many voters, particularly African Americans.

This approach allowed states to maintain control over voter eligibility and suppress the rights of marginalized groups without overtly violating the constitutional mandate. Such strategies reveal how governments can manipulate laws to undermine democratic principles, highlighting the need for vigilance in protecting electoral integrity.