Twenty-sixth Amendment to the Constitution
Passed by Congress March 23, 1971, and ratified July 1, 1971, the 26th amendment granted the right to vote to American citizens aged eighteen or older.
When was the 26th amendment passed and ratified?
On July 1, 1971, our Nation ratified the 26th Amendment to the Constitution, lowering the voting age to 18.
How did the 26th Amendment come about?
In the turmoil surrounding the unpopular Vietnam War, lowering the national voting age became a controversial topic. Responding to arguments that those old enough to be drafted for military service, should be able to exercise the right to vote, Congress lowered the voting age as part of the Voting Rights Act of 1970.
Why was the twenty-sixth amendment passed?
Mitchell that Congress could not lower the voting age for state and local elections. Recognizing the confusion and costs that would be involved in maintaining separate voting rolls and elections for federal and state contests, Congress quickly proposed and the states ratified the Twenty-sixth Amendment.
How does the 26th Amendment protect citizen rights?
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.
What is the 23rd Amendment say?
The Amendment allows American citizens residing in the District of Columbia to vote for presidential electors , who in turn vote in the Electoral College for President and Vice President. In layperson's terms, the Amendment means that residents of the District are able to vote for President and Vice President.
Who passed the 19th Amendment?
Passed by Congress June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920, the 19th amendment guarantees all American women the right to vote.
What was the last state to ratify the 26th Amendment?
Endorsed by Speaker Carl Albert of Oklahoma, the amendment passed the House by a vote of 401 to 19, on March 23, 1971. The state legislatures in Ohio and North Carolina were the last to approve the amendment before official ratification took effect on July 1, 1971.
Which president ratified the 26th Amendment?
On July 5th, 1971, in a ceremony in the White House East Room, in front of the 500-member choral group Young Americans in Concert, President Richard Nixon signed the certified amendment along with three selected 18-year-olds signing as witnesses.
What was the main reason for rewriting our constitution in 1971?
The new constitution took effect in 1971. The amendments approved by the General Assembly and ratified by the people reorganized the executive branch, banned poll taxes, provided for new kinds of local taxes and borrowing by city and county governments , and simplified the state income tax.
What did the 24th amendment do?
On this date in 1962, the House passed the 24th Amendment, outlawing the poll tax as a voting requirement in federal elections, by a vote of 295 to 86. ... The poll tax exemplified “Jim Crow” laws, developed in the post-Reconstruction South, which aimed to disenfranchise black voters and institute segregation.
Who does the 14th Amendment apply to?
The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1868, granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States—including former enslaved people —and guaranteed all citizens “equal protection of the laws.” One of three amendments passed during the Reconstruction era to abolish slavery and ...
What was another name for the 19th Amendment?
The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution granted American women the right to vote , a right known as women's suffrage, and was ratified on August 18, 1920, ending almost a century of protest.
What does the 8th Amendment protect you from?
The Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution states: “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.” This amendment prohibits the federal government from imposing unduly harsh penalties on criminal defendants , either as the price for obtaining ...
How did the 26th Amendment change American society?
Forty years ago, the 26th Amendment to the United States Constitution took effect, lowering the universal voting age in America from 21 years to 18 years. Millions of young Americans were extended the right to vote, empowering more young people than ever before to help shape our country.
What is the 24 Amendment in simple terms?
Not long ago, citizens in some states had to pay a fee to vote in a national election. This fee was called a poll tax. On January 23, 1964, the United States ratified the 24th Amendment to the Constitution, prohibiting any poll tax in elections for federal officials.
