Sources
- https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/amendments-11-27
The National Archives provides the official text of the 26th Amendment and its historical context, making it a reliable source for the amendment's details and ratification process. - https://www.history.com/topics/united-states-constitution/26th-amendment
History.com offers a comprehensive overview of the 26th Amendment, including its historical background, the 'old enough to fight, old enough to vote' movement, and its impact, which aligns with the blog post's content. - https://www.oyez.org/cases/1970/43-orig
Oyez provides detailed information about the Supreme Court case Oregon v. Mitchell, which is directly referenced in the blog post as a pivotal moment leading to the 26th Amendment. - https://www.loc.gov/item/today-in-history/july-01/
The Library of Congress offers historical context for the ratification of the 26th Amendment on July 1, 1971, including its significance and the political climate at the time. - https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/generic/26thAmendment.htm
The U.S. Senate's official website provides a detailed account of the legislative process behind the 26th Amendment, including congressional debates and the role of key figures like Jennings Randolph and President Nixon.
Key Points
- The 26th Amendment lowered the legal voting age in the U.S. from 21 to 18.
- It was ratified on July 1, 1971, after being passed by Congress on March 23, 1971.
- The amendment ensures that citizens 18 or older cannot be denied the right to vote in any state or national election.
- The movement for lowering the voting age was influenced by the slogan 'old enough to fight, old enough to vote,' highlighting the hypocrisy of drafting 18-year-olds for war while denying them voting rights.
- The Oregon v. Mitchell case in 1970 ruled that Congress could set voting age limits for federal elections but not for state or local elections.
- President Dwight D. Eisenhower was the first to publicly support lowering the voting age, emphasizing that those old enough to fight should be allowed to vote.
- The 26th Amendment was ratified faster than any other amendment in U.S. history, reflecting widespread support.
- The amendment was signed into law by President Richard Nixon in July 1971.
- The Supreme Court's decision in 1970 allowed 18-21-year-olds to vote only in federal elections, which spurred the push for the 26th Amendment to standardize voting age across all elections.
Summary
The 26th Amendment, ratified in 1971, lowered the U.S. voting age from 21 to 18, driven by the slogan "old enough to fight, old enough to vote" during the Vietnam War. It was passed after legal battles like *Oregon v. Mitchell*, which initially restricted federal control over state voting ages. The amendment was ratified faster than any other in U.S. history, ensuring voting rights for 18-year-olds in all elections.
26th Amendment
1: The right of citizens of the United States, who are 18 years of age or older, to vote, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of age.
2: The Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
Amendment 26 was passed by Congress on March 23, 1971, and ratified on July 1, 1971.
What Is the 26th Amendment?
Section One of the 26th Amendment states that the legal age for United States citizens to vote is eighteen years or older.
Citizens who meet this requirement shouldn’t be denied the right to vote in any State or National election.
Section Two of the 26th Amendment states that Congress can enact this article if it is done through appropriate legislation.
Understanding the 26th Amendment
Initially, in the United States, the legal voting age was set at twenty-one. After the Twenty-Sixth Amendment was ratified, the United States lowered the legal voting age to eighteen.
Before Congress reduced the legal voting age, there was a long dispute about it during World War II.
President Franklin D Roosevelt lowered the minimum age for military drafting to 18. At the same time, the minimum voting age was 21.
Old enough to fight, old enough to vote
The youth voting rights movement started a slogan stating, “old enough to fight, old enough to vote.”
This led to legislation to lower the voting age being introduced in 1942 by Jennings Randolph.
The pressure to change the current voting age became more intense during the Vietnam War.
Young men who couldn’t vote because of their age were mobilized to fight for their country. It seemed to create a contradiction of your status at the age of 18.
Oregon v. Mitchell
In 1970, there was a division in the United States Supreme Court during the Oregon v. Mitchell case.
The division was due to the decision that Congress could not regulate the minimum age allowed to participate in voting at the state and local levels.
However, it would be able to regulate the minimum age in federal elections.
There was increased pressure and a lot of support for the endorsement of a new Constitutional Amendment.
Amendment 26 passed by Congress
In March of 1971, the Twenty-Sixth Amendment of the United States Constitution was passed by Congress.
After quick ratification from all states, it was signed into law by President Richard M Nixon in July of the same year.
Support of the Twenty Sixth Amendment by Congress and the President
Dwight D. Eisenhower became the first president to publicly declare his support for the constitutional amendment to lower the voting age limit.
He stated that the youth being enlisted to fight in the military should be allowed to vote.
In 1969 during the Vietnam War, there were demonstrations by voting rights activists addressing lawmakers’ hypocrisy. There were also resolutions presented to Congress, but none were successful.
In 1970 the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was amended by Congress, and President Richard Nixon signed the amendments into law.
The Supreme Court Resolution on the 26th Amendment
The Voting Rights Act’s constitutionality had to be reviewed in 1970 by the United States Supreme Court.
The majority decision included Congress not having the right to set the minimum age at the state and local levels. It could only do so in federal elections.
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Supreme Court decision
The verdict stated that those between eighteen and twenty-one could only vote for president and vice president.
However, they couldn’t vote for other state officials participating in the elections.
Ratification of the 26th Amendment
This caused further dissatisfaction, which led to the proposal of the 26th Amendment, which was ratified faster than any other amendment in the United States and enacted in 1971.
