When was 26th amendment ratified

Gifts of Robert N. Ferrell and John C. Olsen View object record View object record. Sign up for Monthly E-newsletter. Search Google Appliance Enter the terms you wish to search for. Smithsonian Website. During the day, Alabama and North Carolina ratified the proposed 26th Amendment, and then Ohio voted as the 38th state on the night of June President Nixon immediately issued a statement that was reported nationally.

This Amendment guarantees the right of year-old persons to vote in State and local, as well as Federal, elections. However, the National Archives and the Library of Congress have recognized North Carolina as the 38th state to ratify the 26th Amendment, with the General Services Administration stating North Carolina legislature actually concluded its action on July 1, During the amendment process, the states have to send official documents to the federal office that does the final paperwork in Washington.

At that time, the General Services Administration performed that function. Others argue that it would also allow Congress to supersede state laws enacted with seemingly neutral intent but that have the effect of disproportionately burdening the voting rights of a particular age group. This latter interpretation is particularly potent because many state residency requirements appear neutral on their face but have the effect of making it more difficult for college students to vote with ease.

And while the Supreme Court has struck down the most onerous residency requirements impacting students, many states do not treat college residences as sufficient for establishing domicile in a particular geographic area. In addition, several states require first time voters who register by mail to vote in person the first time. This presents unique challenges to students who register for the first time in an on-campus registration drive, using their home address due to residency requirements, and who cannot return to their home address to vote in the middle of the week during their fall semester.

Such is the case in Michigan, under a law enacted in , proposed by then-State Senator Mike Rogers as he prepared to run for the United States Congress the following year. An expansive interpretation of the Twenty-Sixth Amendment would suggest that it gives Congress the authority to bar states from enacting these types of restrictions that are neutral on their face but have the effect of making it uniquely challenging for young citizens to vote.

This interpretation would also enable Congress to enact legislation to streamline residency requirements across the country, even in nonfederal elections, and impose a uniform standard that could alleviate some of the confusion many students encounter as they come of age in a democracy with a patchwork of election laws that can often confuse—and thus deter—citizen participate in our elections.

In taking a more aggressive stand to use the Twenty-Sixth Amendment to enforce the right to vote for all voters over the age of 18, Congress can promote a democratic system that seeks to welcome our newest voices into the body politic. Here is a round-up of the latest from the Battle for the Constitution: a special project on the constitutional debates in…. In this session, students learn about voting rights in America through a historical exploration of the right to vote in America.

Amendment 26 Collapse Text Menu Section 1 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 power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Amendment 26 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. Read the full discussion here. Matters of Debate. Podcast The Story of the 26th Amendment. Blog Post Battle for the Constitution: Week of September 27th, Roundup Here is a round-up of the latest from the Battle for the Constitution: a special project on the constitutional debates in….

By , the United States became more heavily and directly involved with the war in Vietnam. Overall public support for the conflict began to wane considerably as American casualties rose. The conduct of the war increasingly came into question.

By the end of the decade, anti-war protests were widespread as thousands of year-old Americans were again being conscripted into military service to fight - and die - for their country. A renewed emphasis on lowering the voting age to 18 again became a hot political topic. In April , as part of legislation to extend the Voting Rights Act of , Congress controversially lowered the voting age to