The 26Th Amendment: Congress' Move To Empower Youth

The 26th Amendment to the US Constitution, passed on July 1, 1971, lowered the voting age to 18 years. Before this, the minimum voting age was 21. The amendment was proposed by Congress on March 23, 1971, and three-quarters of the states ratified it within three months. The 26th Amendment was the fastest passed amendment in US history. The drive to lower the voting age was driven by the military draft during World War II and the Vietnam War, which conscripted young men as young as 18 to fight for their country without granting them the right to vote. This discrepancy gave rise to the slogan old enough to fight, old enough to vote, which became a rallying cry for a youth voting rights movement.

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The 26th Amendment lowered the voting age to 18

The 26th Amendment to the US Constitution lowered the voting age to 18. It was passed by Congress on March 23, 1971, and ratified on July 1, 1971. The Amendment changed a portion of the 14th Amendment, which had previously established that the right to vote applied to "male inhabitants of the state, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States."

Before the 26th Amendment, the minimum voting age across most states was 21. However, there were growing calls to lower the voting age to 18 during the mid-20th century. This movement was driven in part by the military draft during World War II and the Vietnam War, which conscripted young men between the ages of 18 and 21 to serve in the armed forces. The slogan "old enough to fight, old enough to vote" became a rallying cry for youth voting rights activists, who argued that if someone was old enough to serve their country in the military, they should be able to vote.

The push to lower the voting age gained momentum in the 1960s, with increasing numbers of young Americans graduating high school, attending college, and engaging in political and social activism. In 1970, President Richard Nixon added a provision to lower the voting age to 18 in the extensions of the Voting Rights Act. However, this was challenged in the Supreme Court case of Oregon v. Mitchell, where it was determined that Congress could lower the voting age for federal elections but not for state elections.

Following this setback, proponents worked to amend the Constitution to lower the voting age. The 26th Amendment established a standardised minimum age of 18 for participation in state and federal elections across the nation. The swift passage and ratification of the Amendment demonstrated broad bipartisan support for the expansion of voting rights at the time.

The Amendment received bipartisan support

The 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which lowered the voting age to 18, received swift and near-unanimous bipartisan support. The U.S. Senate voted unanimously in favour of the proposed amendment, followed by an overwhelming House vote in favour. In just over two months, 38 states ratified the amendment, and it officially went into effect on July 1, 1971.

The drive to lower the voting age from 21 to 18 gained momentum during the 1960s, driven in part by the military draft during the Vietnam War. Young men between the ages of 18 and 21 were being conscripted into the military to fight and die for their nation, yet they were not allowed to vote. This discrepancy led to the slogan "old enough to fight, old enough to vote," which became a rallying cry for a youth voting rights movement.

The issue of lowering the voting age had been discussed for decades, with the first calls for a change emerging in the 1940s. During World War II, Congress lowered the minimum age for the draft to 18, sparking a debate about the voting age. In 1941, Senator Harley Kilgore began advocating for a lowered voting age, and he was supported by fellow senators, representatives, and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Despite this, Congress failed to pass any national change at the time.

In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower became the first president to publicly support lowering the voting age, stating that those between 18 and 21 who were summoned to fight for America should also be able to participate in the political process. In 1969, 60 resolutions were introduced in Congress to lower the voting age, but none resulted in any action. The following year, President Richard Nixon added a provision to lower the voting age to 18 in the extensions of the Voting Rights Act. However, this was challenged in the Supreme Court case of Oregon v. Mitchell, where it was determined that Congress could lower the voting age for federal but not state elections.

The 26th Amendment received bipartisan support because it addressed a long-standing issue and responded to the growing activism and national awareness among young Americans about their right to vote.

The Vietnam War and conscription fuelled the youth voting rights movement

The 26th Amendment to the US Constitution, passed on March 23, 1971, and ratified on July 1, 1971, lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 years old. The swift passage and ratification of the amendment were fuelled in large part by the Vietnam War and conscription, which galvanised the youth voting rights movement.

During World War II, in 1942, Congress lowered the minimum age for conscription into the US military to 18. This discrepancy between the voting age and the age of eligibility to fight and die for one's country sparked a decades-long debate and the birth of the slogan "old enough to fight, old enough to vote". This slogan became a rallying cry for youth voting rights activists, who argued that if citizens were old enough to serve their country in the military, they should be able to exercise the right to vote.

The Vietnam War, which began in the late 1950s, brought this issue to the forefront once again. Young men between the ages of 18 and 21 were being conscripted into the armed forces, primarily the US Army, to serve in or support military combat operations in Vietnam. They were being asked to risk their lives for their nation at an age when they were still denied the right to vote. This hypocrisy fuelled the fire of the youth voting rights movement, with activists holding marches and demonstrations to draw attention to this discrepancy.

The increasing number of young Americans graduating from high school, attending college, and engaging in political and social activism also contributed to a growing national awareness of the process of crafting laws and constitutional amendments. This led to a broader understanding of the legislative process and the realisation that a constitutional amendment was necessary to standardise the voting age across all states.

In 1970, President Richard Nixon added a provision to lower the voting age to 18 in the extensions of the Voting Rights Act. However, this was challenged in the Supreme Court case of Oregon v. Mitchell, where it was determined that Congress could only lower the voting age for federal elections and not for state elections. This decision highlighted the need for a constitutional amendment to ensure a uniform national voting age.

The combination of the Vietnam War, conscription, and the activism of young people and their allies, created a powerful momentum that led to the swift passage and ratification of the 26th Amendment. It standardised the minimum age for voting in state and federal elections across the nation, ensuring that young Americans who were deemed old enough to fight for their country were also granted the right to have a voice in choosing its leaders and shaping its policies.

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The Supreme Court ruled Congress could lower the voting age for federal elections

The 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified on July 1, 1971, lowered the voting age to 18 years for all Americans. The Amendment changed a portion of the 14th Amendment, which had previously established that male citizens over the age of 21 had the right to vote.

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. With young men as young as 18 being conscripted to fight and risk their lives for their nation, the slogan "old enough to fight, old enough to vote" became a rallying cry for a youth voting rights movement. This movement was powered by the increasing social and political activism of young Americans, many of whom were graduating high school, going to college, and engaging in activism.

The 26th Amendment was proposed by Congress on March 23, 1971, and ratified by three-quarters of the states by July 1, 1971. The swift passage and ratification of the Amendment demonstrated near-unanimous bipartisan support for the expansion of voting rights.

Prior to the Amendment, states had the authority to set their own minimum voting ages, with 21 being the typical national standard. However, in 1943 and 1955, the Georgia and Kentucky legislatures took the initiative to approve measures lowering the voting age to 18. The first president to publicly support lowering the voting age was Dwight D. Eisenhower, who, in his 1954 State of the Union address, stated that citizens between 18 and 21 were "summoned to fight for America" and should thus "participate in the political process that produces this fateful summons."

The Supreme Court case of Oregon v. Mitchell in 1970 played a pivotal role in the lead-up to the 26th Amendment. The Court ruled that Congress had the authority to lower the voting age for federal elections to 18 but not for state elections. This decision meant that while states could maintain a voting age of 21 for state and local elections, they had to establish separate voter rolls to allow voters between 18 and 21 to vote in federal elections. This situation, along with growing public support for a uniform national voting age, spurred the passage of the 26th Amendment, ensuring that all Americans aged 18 and older had the right to vote in all elections.

The Amendment standardised the minimum voting age across states

The 26th Amendment to the US Constitution, passed in 1971, standardised the minimum voting age across states, lowering it from 21 to 18 years. Before the Amendment, states had the authority to set their own minimum voting age, with some variance, but 21 was the national standard. The 26th Amendment ensured that all Americans aged 18 and over gained the right to vote in both state and federal elections.

The push to lower the voting age had been building for some time. In 1941, Senator Harley Kilgore began advocating for this change, and he was supported by fellow senators, representatives, and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Despite this, Congress failed to pass any national legislation. However, the idea gained traction at a local level, with Georgia and Kentucky lowering the voting age to 18 in 1943 and 1955, respectively. In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower became the first president to publicly support lowering the voting age, stating that those aged 18 to 21 who were "summoned to fight for America" should also be able to "participate in the political process that produces this fateful summons."

The Vietnam War further fuelled the movement to lower the voting age. Young men between the ages of 18 and 21 were being drafted to fight and risk their lives for their country, yet they were denied the right to vote. This discrepancy led to the slogan "old enough to fight, old enough to vote", which became a rallying cry for a youth voting rights movement. The activism of young people and their allies, coupled with increasing national awareness of law-making processes, put pressure on Congress to act.

In 1970, President Richard Nixon added a provision to lower the voting age in the extensions of the Voting Rights Act. However, this was challenged in the Supreme Court case of Oregon v. Mitchell, where it was determined that Congress could lower the voting age for federal elections but not for state elections. This decision left it up to individual states to decide whether to lower the voting age for their elections. To standardise the voting age across all elections, proponents took swift action to amend the Constitution, resulting in the passage of the 26th Amendment.

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