26th amendment how long to ratify

The movement to lower the voting age began to gain grassroots traction when newly-elected President Dwight D. They should participate in the political process that produces this fateful summons. I urge Congress to propose to the States a constitutional amendment permitting citizens to vote when they reach the age of President Dwight D. Eisenhower Delivers his State of the Union message before a joint session of Congress assembled in the chamber of the House of Representatives at the capitol in Washington, DC.

Image courtesy of the US National Archives. Still, it would not be until much of the American public became disillusioned by the lengthy and costly war in Vietnam in the mid s that the movement to lower the voting age gained widespread public support. Even as he signed the amendment into law, President Richard Nixon issued a public statement that the federal government regulating state and local elections was likely to be deemed unconstitutional and that only an amendment would secure this right.

He was right, and the amendment was struck down in the Supreme Court case Oregon v. Mitchell , ruling that the federal government could not make mandates for state and local elections.

The result was a mixed system in which state and local elections had different rules than federal elections, which resulted in logistical problems on election days in states across the country. Protests and lobbying efforts, largely led by activists from the National Education Association and their allies such as the AFL-CIO and the NAACP, resumed in large numbers, as men between the ages of 18 and 20 feared their draft numbers being called despite having no say in electing their representation.

Demonstration for reduction in voting age, Seattle, Senate voted unanimously in favor of the proposed amendment. 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. It officially went into effect on July 1, , though President Nixon signed it into law on July 5, 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 Over the next decades, the legacy of the 26th Amendment was a mixed one: After a The presidential election of Barack Obama saw a voter turnout of some 49 percent of to 24 year-olds, the second highest in history.

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. The 26 Amendment. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present. Even before the U. Constitution was created, its framers understood that it would have to be amended to confront future challenges and adapt and grow alongside the new nation.

In creating the amendment process for what would become the permanent U. Constitution, the framers The 25th Amendment to the U. Passed by Congress on July 6, , the 25th Amendment was ratified by the states The Second Amendment, often referred to as the right to bear arms, is one of 10 amendments that form the Bill of Rights, ratified in by the U.

Differing interpretations of the amendment have fueled a long-running debate over gun control legislation and the The First Amendment to the U. Constitution protects the freedom of speech, religion and the press. It also protects the right to peaceful protest and to petition the government.

Transfer from National Archives and Records Administration. How Will Youth Vote? Newsweek magazine, October 25, Buttons from the presidential campaign. Gifts of Robert N. Ferrell and John C. Olsen View object record View object record. Sign up for Monthly E-newsletter.

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