why was the voting age lowered

Why was the voting age lowered from 21 to 18?

On this date in 1971, President Richard Nixon, under popular pressure, formally certified the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, lowering the voting age from 21 to 18. Leading up to that period, the demand had grown that young people be given the opportunity to vote.

Why did the 26th Amendment change the voting age?

The 26 Amendment lowered the legal voting age in the United States from 21 to 18. The long debate over lowering the voting age began during World War II and intensified during the Vietnam War, when young men denied the right to vote were being conscripted to fight for their country. In the 1970 case Oregon v.

Who was the first president to support lowering the voting age?

Dwight D. Eisenhower, who led the U.S. armed forces to victory in Europe in 1945, later became the first president to publicly voice his support for a constitutional amendment lowering the minimum voting age.

Do Democrats think lowering the voting age is reckless?

When it comes to just about any other condition of maturity, Democrats seem to think the proper course is the exact opposite.” So lowering the voting age is both reckless in its ethos to put voting power in the hands of people who are not ready for responsible citizenship, yet also is reduced to a mere palliative.

When did the voting age go down?

The Voting Rights Act of 1970 lowered the voting age from 21 to 18. Here's a look at the history and the recent push by some to lower the voting age to 16.

What was the Vietnam era?

Emory Political Science Professor Andra Gillespie points out that the Vietnam era was a time when Americans were calling for many changes, including a push to eliminate racial discrimination from the voting process.

How old was the voting age in the 1960s?

The voting age remained 21 years old for about a century, until the turbulent 1960s when the military began drafting young men to fight in an unpopular war.

When is Prop 18 voting in California?

California voters will decide on Proposition 18 in the November election. RELATED: CA Prop 18: Voting for 17-year-olds in primary elections. In San Diego County, the deadline to register to vote in the November election is Monday, October 19th.

When did the voting age change to 18?

The Voting Rights Act of 1970 lowered the voting age to 18 for national elections. The 26th Amendment made the change to 18 permanent for all elections. RELATED: 'It's up to you to use it' | A look back on the past generation's fight for all to be able to vote.

When did California allow teens to vote?

Prior to the Civil War, federal laws didn't even mention a voting age. In 1868, Congress passed the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, giving men the right to vote at the age of 21.

Can a 16 year old vote in California?

A proposition on the ballot in the November election would allow 16-year-olds to vote in local elections. Statewide, there's an effort to allow 17-year-olds to vote in election primaries or special elections, provided they will turn 18 by the general election. California voters will decide on Proposition 18 in the November election.

What age group is most likely to vote Democratic?

Most recently, people aged 18 through 21 played a huge role in electing the current administration. Statistically, they are more likely to vote Democratic than Republican, as well as more progressive in general.

What is the People's World?

People’s World is a voice for progressive change and socialism in the United States. It provides news and analysis of, by, and for the labor and democratic movements to our readers across the country and around the world. People’s World traces its lineage to the Daily Worker newspaper, founded by communists, socialists, union members, and other activists in Chicago in 1924.

When was the voting age lowered to 18?

Today in history: Voting age lowered to 18. July 5, 2012 12:46 PM CDT By Special to People’s World. On this date in 1971, President Richard Nixon, under popular pressure, formally certified the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, lowering the voting age from 21 to 18.

How does involving young people in voting affect the voter?

Involving young people in voting can have a “trickle up” effect that mobilizes their parents and other adults in their households to vote, increasing the overall voter turnout rate. [ 24][ 25] Turnout among 16- and 17-year-olds in Takoma Park, Maryland, the first US municipality to lower the voting age for local elections, was double that of eligible voters 18 and older. [ 26]

Why are 16 year olds not competent voters?

Social scientists Tak Wing Chan, PhD, and Matthew Clayton, DPhil, say that 16- and 17-year-olds wouldn’t be competent voters because “research in neuroscience suggests that the brain, specifically the prefrontal cortex, is still undergoing major reconstruction and development during the teenage years,” and added that the prefrontal cortex is what “enables us to weigh dilemmas, balance trade-offs and, in short, make reasonable decisions in politics.” [ 11]

Why did the voting age drop in the 1970s?

A US Senate report cited student activism and protests as reasons for lowering the voting age to 18 in the 1970s during the Vietnam War: “We must channel these energies into our political system and give young people the real opportunity to influence our society in a peaceful and constructive manner.” [ 33]

How many people voted in the 2014 midterms?

Only 12.5% of 18-year-olds participated in the 2014 midterm election, compared to 42% of the general population. [ 27] According to the United States Elections Project’s analysis of US Census Bureau data, just 16% of eligible voters ages 18-29 voted in the 2014 election, compared to 30% for ages 30-44, 43% for 45-59, and 55% for age 60 and up. [ 28][ 29] Over the last 30 years, voter turnout for 18- to 29-year-olds has never exceeded 21% in a midterm election. [ 29][ 30]

What is the probability of voting in a future election?

A person who votes in one election has a 13% greater probability of voting in a future election. [ 19] . Researchers say that people who participate in elections when they first reach voting age are likely to develop the habit of voting, and those who don’t are more likely to remain nonvoters. [ 20][ 21]

What countries allow voting at 16?

Internationally, about a dozen countries allow citizens to vote at age 16, sometimes with conditions such as being employed or married, including Argentina, Austria, Brazil and Ecuador.

Which country has the lowest voter turnout rate?

The United States has one of the lowest voter turnout rates among developed countries. [ 18] A person who votes in one election has a 13% greater probability of voting in a future election. [ 19] Researchers say that people who participate in elections when they first reach voting age are likely to develop the habit of voting, and those who don’t are more likely to remain nonvoters. [ 20][ 21]

What would happen if the voting age was lowered to 16?

If the voting age were lowered to 16, then most voters would be sophomores, juniors, or seniors in high school when voting in their first election. That isn’t much different than what happens when teens at 18 vote already, as most are either juniors or seniors in high school.

What is the voting age in Maryland?

There are a cluster of suburbs around Washington, D.C. which have already lowered the voting age from 18 to 16, three of which are in Maryland: Greenbelt, Hyattsville, and Takoma Park. Teens at the age of 16 can vote in the school board elections in Berkeley, CA. Several states already allow 17-year-olds to vote in state ...

What countries allow lower voting age?

Austria, Argentina, Ecuador, Cuba, Brazil, Nicaragua, and three self-governing British Crown Dependencies all permit the lower voting age already. Teens at the age of 16 can vote in Bosnia, Serbia, and Montenegro if they have a job. 4. It also follows a legal precedent set in the United States.

Why is voting important for youth?

Although the youth of any country may offer different priorities for the future than older voters, they will one day be in charge of the country. Voting helps them learn how the civic process works in society on a personal level. 2. It develops healthy civic habits in teens.

What age can a child work on a farm?

6. It allows teens to learn multiple layers of responsibility. The standards for agricultural employment in the United States allow children under the age of 12 to work on farms outside of school hours with parental consent when the minimum wage requirements do not apply.

What age does the magic number come out?

That process doesn’t tend to regulate itself until around the age of 25 for many individuals. If turning 18 creates a “magic number” where these issues are no longer an issue, society can declare that 16 becomes that number in the future. 6. It allows teens to learn multiple layers of responsibility.

How old do you have to be to be charged as an adult?

There are currently 13 states which do not have a minimum age at which a child can shift into adult court, allowing for the prosecution of eight-year-olds into the adult corrections system.

How many states did Nixon win in 1972?

Though newly minted young voters were expected to choose Democratic challenger George McGovern, an opponent of the Vietnam War, Nixon was reelected by an overwhelming margin–winning 49 states–in 1972. Over the next decades, the legacy of the 26th Amendment was a mixed one: After a 55.4 percent turnout in 1972, youth turnout steadily declined, reaching 36 percent in the 1988 presidential election. Though the 1992 election of Bill Clinton saw a slight rebound, voting rates of 18- to 24-year-olds remained well behind the turnout of older voters, and many lamented that America’s young people were squandering their opportunities to enact change. The 2008 presidential election of Barack Obama saw a voter turnout of some 49 percent of 18- to 24 year-olds, the second highest in history.

What amendment lowered the voting age?

The 26 Amendment lowered the legal voting age in the United States from 21 to 18. The long debate over lowering the voting age began during World War II and intensified during the Vietnam War, when young men denied the right to vote were being conscripted to fight for their country. In the 1970 case Oregon v. Mitchell, a divided U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Congress had the right to regulate the minimum age in federal elections, but not at the state and local level. Amid increasing support for a Constitutional amendment, Congress passed the 26th Amendment in March 1971. The states promptly ratified it, and President Richard M. Nixon signed it into law that July.

How long did it take for the 26th amendment to be ratified?

After an overwhelming House vote in favor on March 23, the 26th Amendment went to the states for ratification. In just over two months –the shortest period of time for any amendment in U.S. history–the necessary three-fourths of state legislatures (or 38 states) ratified the 26th Amendment.

What is the meaning of Amendment XXVI?

Section 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. Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Which amendment lowered the voting age in the United States?

Contents. The 26 Amendment lowered the legal voting age in the United States from 21 to 18. The long debate over lowering the voting age began during World War II and intensified during the Vietnam War, when young men denied the right to vote were being conscripted to fight for their country. In the 1970 case Oregon v.

What was Randolph's driving force?

The driving force behind Randolph’s efforts was his faith in America’s youth, of whom he believed: “They possess a great social conscience, are perplexed by the injustices in the world and are anxious to rectify those ills.”. READ MORE: How the Vietnam War Draft Spurred the Fight for Lowering the Legal Voting Age.

Why did the 1960s have marches?

In the late 1960s, with the United States embroiled in a long, costly war in Vietnam, youth voting rights activists held marches and demonstrations to draw lawmakers’ attention to the hypocrisy of drafting young men who lacked the right to vote.

What is the left's view of young people?

The left has a sort of Rousseauian concept of young people as being free from the shackling norms of civilization, as being capable of drawing from wisdom unclouded by the built-up prejudices of experience.

What age do progressives want to lower the voting age?

At the same time progressives demand the lowering of the voting age, we increasingly infantilize young Americans, who are not really seen as “adults” until the age of 26, long after most graduate college. From smoking to gun ownership, progressives are stripping the rights and life choices of young adults.

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CNSNews covers the stories that the liberal media are afraid to touch. It drives the national debate through real, honest journalism—not by misrepresenting or ignoring the facts. CNSNews has emerged as the conservative media’s lynchpin for original reporting, investigative reporting, and breaking news.

What percentage of young Americans would prefer to live in a socialist country?

A new poll perhaps demonstrates why. The Harris Poll, released exclusively by Axios, shows that roughly half of young Americans say they would prefer living in a socialist country. It also reveals that many young Americans think the government should provide free health care, education, and medicine, among many other things.

Why is America so prosperous?

The reason America is so prosperous, and why it remains a place where so many people around the globe aspire to live, is because it rejected these ruthlessly collectivist doctrines.

Who said "I myself have always been for lowering the voting age to 16"?

Speaker Nancy Pelosi: “I myself have always been for lowering the voting age to 16...I think it’s really important to capture kids when they’re in high school” pic.twitter.com/Enxr0kPJ3v

Is lowering the voting age reckless?

So lowering the voting age is both reckless in its ethos to put voting power in the hands of people who are not ready for responsible citizenship, yet also is reduced to a mere palliative. “Democracy” is expanded as liberty recedes, making democratic participation worth little more than a pat on the back.

Why did the voting age in Maryland go down to 16?

One reason that they did this is because they believe it will bring more people to the voting booths. Although it does create a larger group of people who are able to vote, it doesn’t mean that the ratios of eligible voters who vote to eligible voters who do not vote is guaranteed to increase. In Takoma Park’s 2013 election, only 17% of 16 to 17 year olds who were eligible voters actually voted.

Why do teens have to know more about politics?

Although students know more about politics due to easy access to social media, their views of politicians and issues can become confused .

What is the brain area that is ruled by the amygdala?

Biology teacher Beth Ericsson, said, “At 16, people are still so ruled by their amygdala, an area of the brain involved in emotions and not by the prefrontal cortex, an area involved in rational thinking and decision making. Even at 18, when people gain the right to vote, many are not fully capable of clear and rational thinking.

When did the voting age change?

The voting age was changed once before, in 1970, when Congress lowered it from 21 to 18. The idea behind this was that eighteen-year-olds are able to fight for their country but not able to decide who represents them. Today, there is no reason for a further change.

Who is Janvier Beaver?

Janvier Beaver, government teacher, said, “In teaching at Linganore High School for twelve years, I believe students are more interested in politics than any point in my career. Social media has definitely peeked students’ interest in politics.” But does that translate to informed voting?

Can social media influence voting?

Social media can also pressure students into voting without deeper examination. In a study by Ipsos Mori, a UK research group, more than a third of young people said that their vote was influenced by something that they had seen on social media. The brain of a 16 year old isn’t fully developed.

Is voting irrational for a 16 year old?

Therefore, having a 16 year old vote would be irrational itself.