D.They wanted to limit the voting abilities of freedmen and poverty-stricken citizens.
Explanation:
The main reason why states required voters to pass literacy tests and pay poll taxes in order to vote was because these governments wanted to limit the voting abilities of freedmen and poverty-stricken citizens. This became particularly common during Reconstruction. As slaves became free, states in the South passed a series of laws that attempted to reduce the effect of the Reconstruction policies passed by the Republican government.
