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During WWII, the draft age was lowered from 21 to 18. The slogan "old enough to fight, old enough to vote" has become well-used. -
Democratic Congressman Randolph, of West Virginia, introduced the first bill to lower the voting age to 18. He believed in the younger generation and continued to show his support for 30 years.
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Georgia amends their state constitution to allow 18-year-olds to vote in state and local elections. They are the first state to do so. This makes other states debate this, but no one takes action.
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President Eisenhower spoke in support of lowering the voting age during his State of the Union address. Although the president showed support, Congress still failed to take action. -
During the Vietnam War, more and more people protested. Many young activists are heavily protesting, demanding their right to vote. They believe that if they can serve in war, they can vote in elections. This strong pride lasted until 1969.
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The Supreme Court rules that Congress has the right to regulate the minimum voting age for Federal elections, but can't determine voting ages for state and local elections.
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On March 10, the Senate had a vote of 94-0 in favor of the 26th Amendment. On March 23, the House voted 401-19 in favor of the 26th Amendment as well. It is now up to the states to ratify the Amendment.
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On July 1, the 26th Amendment went into effect. In just 100 days, 38 out of the 50 states have signed off on the ratification. Ohio was the last and final state needed to put this amendment into effect. This quick process was record-breaking. -
On July 5, 1971, President Nixon held a ceremony in the East Room of the white house, where 3 18-year-olds were present by his side. During this ceremony, he signs the certification for the amendment. -
1972 was the first election year in which 18-year-olds and older could vote in federal elections. Over 11 million people were now eligible to vote. The election was for president, and the 2 candidates were Nixon and McGovern.
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During 1980-1990, we saw a decline in youth participation. This brought a question among the people. They were questioning whether the youth are getting enough civic education.
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From the 2000s to the present, the 26th Amendment has continued to bring conversations about youth participation, voting access, and civic engagement. There are now many organizations across the U.S. that work with the younger generations to encourage participation