Which amendment prohibits the federal government from denying voting rights based on race?

The 15th Amendment is specifically designed to prohibit the federal government from denying or restricting an individual's right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude. Ratified in 1870, this amendment was a key component of the Reconstruction Amendments aimed at ensuring that former slaves and their descendants could participate in the electoral process. Its language explicitly states that the right to vote shall not be denied based on these criteria, thus serving as a crucial legal foundation for voting rights protections against racial discrimination.

The other amendments do not address voting rights in the same manner; for example, the 14th Amendment broadly defines citizenship and includes equal protection clauses, but it does not specifically address voting rights in relation to race. The 17th Amendment focuses on the direct election of Senators, while the 19th Amendment grants women the right to vote, neither of which targets the issue of race specifically. Therefore, the 15th Amendment stands out as the one that directly prohibits voting rights discrimination based on race.