Malcolm Rivera
The Twenty-Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified on July 1, 1971, lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 years for all elections. The amendment was proposed by Congress on March 23, 1971, and passed with strong majorities in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. The drive to lower the voting age during the 1960s was influenced by the Vietnam War, with young men being drafted to fight at 18 but not having the legal right to vote until 21. This led to the emergence of a youth rights movement, with the slogan old enough to fight, old enough to vote. The Twenty-Sixth Amendment addressed this discrepancy and established a standardised minimum voting age of 18 across the nation.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of Amendment | Twenty-sixth Amendment (Amendment XXVI) |
| Date Proposed by Congress | March 23, 1971 |
| Date Passed by Congress | March 23, 1971 |
| House of Representatives Vote | 401-19 |
| Senate Vote | 94-0 |
| Date Ratified | July 1, 1971 |
| Voting Age Before Amendment | 21 |
| Voting Age After Amendment | 18 |
| Section 1 Text | The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age. |
| Section 2 Text | The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. |
| Key Events Leading to Amendment | Vietnam War, youth rights movement, military draft of young men, public opposition to Vietnam War |
| Related Supreme Court Case | Oregon v. Mitchell |
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What You'll Learn
The Twenty-Sixth Amendment
The text of the amendment is as follows: "The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age. The Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation."
The drive to lower the voting age emerged during the 1940s and gained momentum in the 1960s, largely due to the Vietnam War. Young men, aged 18 to 21, were being conscripted into the military to fight in Vietnam but did not have the right to vote for the government that was sending them to war. This led to the emergence of a youth rights movement, with the slogan "old enough to fight, old enough to vote".
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Support for the Amendment
The Twenty-sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which lowered the voting age from 21 to 18, was passed with strong support from various quarters. The drive to lower the voting age gained momentum during the 1960s, amidst increasing opposition to the Vietnam War. With the draft age set at 18, many young men were conscripted into the military, facing the prospect of fighting and dying for their nation without having a say in the government's decision to wage war. This discrepancy fuelled a youth rights movement, with proponents of lowering the voting age adopting the slogan "old enough to fight, old enough to vote".
The push for a lower voting age was further bolstered by a growing number of young Americans graduating from high school, attending college, and engaging in political and social activism. This led to increased awareness of the law-making process and a recognition that their voices deserved to be heard in the political arena. The movement gained support from various public officials, who advocated for legislative change to lower the voting age.
First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt was among the early supporters of lowering the voting age, endorsing Congressional proposals as early as the 1940s. However, it wasn't until the 1960s and 1970s that the movement gained widespread traction. The Supreme Court case of Oregon v. Mitchell in 1970 further highlighted the issue. While the Court upheld the authority of Congress to set the voting age for federal elections, it ruled that Congress could not unilaterally lower the voting age for state and local elections.
This ruling created the possibility of separate voter rolls and election systems for federal and state contests, which many states recognised would lead to "chaos and confusion". As a result, there was a growing consensus that a constitutional amendment was necessary to standardise the voting age across all elections. On March 2, 1971, a proposed constitutional amendment to lower the voting age to 18 for all elections was approved by a subcommittee and the House Judiciary Committee. The Senate and the House of Representatives soon followed suit, with overwhelming majorities in favour of the amendment.
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The Vietnam War
The Twenty-sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified on July 1, 1971, lowered the minimum voting age in all elections to 18 years. The Amendment was proposed by Congress on March 23, 1971, and passed with overwhelming support, with the Senate voting 94-0 in favour and the House of Representatives voting 401-19 in favour. This amendment addressed a significant domestic controversy that emerged during the Cold War and the Vietnam War.
The drive to lower the voting age from 21 to 18 gained momentum during the 1960s, largely due to the military draft held during the Vietnam War. Young men between the ages of 18 and 21 were conscripted into the United States Armed Forces, primarily the U.S. Army, to serve in Vietnam. These citizens were expected to fight and potentially die for their nation without having a say in the government's decision to engage in the war. This discrepancy led to the emergence of a youth rights movement, advocating for the reduction of the voting age with the slogan "old enough to fight, old enough to vote".
The United States provided military advisors, financial support, and weapons to South Vietnam during the early stages of the war. However, by the 1960s, the number of American troops in Vietnam had significantly increased, with combat units deployed and direct military engagement becoming more common. The Vietnam War was characterised by guerrilla warfare, with North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces utilising tactics such as ambushes, small-unit assaults, and the use of tunnels and traps. The rugged terrain and dense jungles of Vietnam also presented significant challenges to American forces, who were more accustomed to conventional warfare.
As the war progressed, opposition to the United States' involvement grew within America and internationally. The increasing casualties, graphic images of warfare, and rising anti-war sentiment among the youth contributed to a shift in public opinion. Protests and demonstrations against the war became more frequent, with the Vietnam War becoming a highly divisive issue. The draft, which conscripted young men into military service, further fuelled the controversy, as many questioned the morality of forcing individuals who could not legally vote to risk their lives in a conflict they may not support.
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Oregon v. Mitchell
The Twenty-sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which changed the voting age to 18, was passed on July 1, 1971. This amendment was proposed by Congress on March 23, 1971, and ratified by three-fourths of the states within four months, making it the fastest amendment ratification in US history. The amendment was a response to the Supreme Court case Oregon v. Mitchell, which had created confusion over the voting age for different types of elections.
In Oregon v. Mitchell (1970), the Supreme Court considered the constitutionality of the voting-age provisions that Congress added to the Voting Rights Act in 1970. President Richard Nixon had included a provision to lower the voting age in the 1970 extensions of the Voting Rights Act, which was challenged in this case. The Court's decision was deeply divided, and a majority of justices did not agree on a rationale. They ruled that Congress could lower the voting age for federal elections but not for state and local elections. This meant that states could maintain 21 as the voting age for state and local elections but had to establish separate voter rolls for voters between 18 and 21 to vote in federal elections.
The Supreme Court's decision in Oregon v. Mitchell created a situation where different voter rolls and elections would be required for federal and state contests, leading to confusion and increased costs for states. Recognizing these challenges, Congress quickly proposed the Twenty-sixth Amendment to standardize the minimum voting age across all elections. The amendment states that the right of citizens of the United States who are eighteen years of age or older to vote shall not be denied or abridged by any state on account of age.
The drive to lower the voting age from 21 to 18 had gained momentum during the 1960s, particularly due to the military draft held during the Vietnam War. Young men between the ages of 18 and 21 were conscripted to serve in the military and potentially risk their lives, yet they did not have the right to vote until the age of 21. This discrepancy led to the emergence of a youth rights movement, with the slogan "old enough to fight, old enough to vote". The Twenty-sixth Amendment addressed this issue by ensuring that all citizens aged 18 and older had the right to participate in state and federal elections, regardless of the level of government.
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Ratification
In the United States, Article VII of the Constitution outlines the ratification process for amending the Constitution. This process involves securing the ratification of at least three-fourths of the states, as specified in Article V.
The Twenty-sixth Amendment, which changed the voting age to 18, was proposed by Congress on March 23, 1971, and was swiftly ratified by three-fourths of the states by July 1, 1971. This amendment addressed the inconsistency in voting ages for state and federal elections that arose from the Supreme Court's decision in Oregon v. Mitchell, which held that Congress could not unilaterally lower the voting age for state and local elections.
The ratification of the Twenty-sixth Amendment was driven by a growing youth rights movement during the 1960s, particularly in the context of the Vietnam War. Young men between the ages of 18 and 21 were being conscripted to serve in the military but did not have the right to vote until the age of 21. This discrepancy led to the popular slogan, "old enough to fight, old enough to vote."
The ratification of the Twenty-sixth Amendment ensured that the voting age was standardized at 18 for all state and federal elections, guaranteeing the voting rights of young citizens across the nation.
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Frequently asked questions
The Twenty-Sixth Amendment.
The voting age was 21.
It was passed by Congress on March 23, 1971, and ratified on July 1, 1971.
To lower the minimum voting age to 18 in all elections, federal, state, and local.
The drive to lower the voting age from 21 to 18 grew across the country during the 1960s, driven in part by the military draft held during the Vietnam War. Young men aged 18-21 were conscripted into the military but did not have the legal right to vote until the age of 21. This led to the emergence of a youth rights movement with the slogan "old enough to fight, old enough to vote".
