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First thought of lowering the age to vote
At the start of World War ll when Franklin D Rosevelt lowered the age for the military draft from 21 to 18 is when the first contrafercy for the voting age to be lowered. You would often hear people say you have the right to fight but no the right to vote. This was because you still had to be 21 to vote. -
Randolph first attempt for the 26th amendment
In 1942 Randolph was the first to actually set forth and try to do something about the voting age. This was his first attempt out of 11 to try to get the federal legislature to lower the voting age to 18. He believed in the young people and thought it was wrong to make them fight and they didn't even have the opportunity to vote. -
First state to lower the age
Georgia was the first state to take action and actually do something about the voting age. It was the first state to lower its voting age from 21 to 18 in its state and local elections. -
Gallup poll
A gallup poll from January 1943 had showed that many people had still opposed the idea of lowering the voting age to 18. Only 39% of the people voted for the idea to lower the voting age to 18. -
Eisenhower first president to voive opion
Eisenhower was the first president to publically voice his opion on the voting age. In his State of the Union Address he says how he thinks people who are 18 should have the right to vote if are expected to fight for our country. -
Kentucky
By 1955 Kentucky had followed Georgia foot steps. Kentucky had took the step forward also and made the voting age for it's local and state elcetions from 21 to 18. -
Vietnam War
Tensions grew during the Vietnam war more and more to get the law passed and put into place for the voting age to be lowered. Protests were breaking out and the people wanted something to be done. -
Resolutions to Congress
In 1969 there were around 60 resolutions that were put to congress to try and get something done about the voting age. Suprisingly none of these resolutins made any action that took place. -
Oregon v. Mitchell
In the Oregon vs. Mitchell case the Supreme Court took a look over the idea of lowering the voting age. In the case the majority said that Congress did not have the right to lower the age for the state and local elections but just the federal elections. There were other justices who thought they had the power to regulate state and local elections as well. There were also other justices who thought that it was unconstituional for the federal government to regulate even the federal elections. -
Passing the 26th amendment
The senate voted unanimously to propose the amendment. After the house had voted in favor of the Amendment on March 23rd it went to the states for ratification. In a little over 2 months the states had already got the majority vote of 38 states in favor of the amendment. This allowed president Nixon to sign the smendment into law.
