#voting age

[todaysdocument]

Arizona's Ratification of the 26th Amendment

Record Group 11: General Records of the United States GovernmentSeries: Ratified Amendments 

STATE OF ARIZONA

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA}

STATE OF ARIZONA} SS.

I WESLEY BOLIN, Secretary of State, do hereby certify that ~~ THE ATTACHED DOCUMENT IS A TRUE, CORRECT AND COMPLETE COPY OF HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 2, THIRTHIETH LEGISLATURE, FIRST REGULAR SESSION: THAT I AM THE OFFICIAL OF THE STATE OF ARIZONA HAVING CUSTODY AND CONTROL OF THE ORIGINAL OF SAID COPY AND THE LEGAL KEEPER THEREOF.

[SEAL - ILLEGIBLE]

In Witness Whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Great Seal of the State of Arizona. Done at Phoenix the capital, this 26th day of May A.D. 1971

Wesley Bolin [signature] 

1 "Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce

2 this article by appropriate legislation."

3 Therefore

4 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

5 1. That such proposed amendment to the constitution of

6 the United States of America be and the same is hereby ratified.

7 2. The Governor is requested to transmit certified copies

8 of this Resolution to the Administrator of general Services,

9 Washington, D.C., and the President of the Senate and the

10 Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Congress of the

11 United States.

[the following is crossed out] -

Passed the House April 20, 1971 by the following vote: 38 Ayes, 18 Nays, 4 Not Voting.

Passed the Senate May 14, 1971 by the following vote: 24 Ayes, 3 Nays, 3 Not Voting.

Approved by the Governor - May 17, 1971

Filed in the Office of the Secretary of State - May 17, 1971

COMPILED AND ISSUED BY

WESLEY BOLIN

SECRETARY OF STATE

for use until Session Laws are printed

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Thirtieth Legislature

First Regular Session

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 2

A JOINT RESOLUTION

RATIFYING THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES; PROVIDING THAT 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.

Whereas, the Ninety-second Congress of the United States of America at its First Session, in both Houses, by a Constitutional majority of two-thirds thereof, adopted the following proposition to amend the Constitution of the United States of America in the following words, to wit:

JOINT RESOLUTION

"Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled (two-thirds of each House concurring therein), that the following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as a part of the Constitution when ratified by the Legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years from the date of its submission by the Congress:

ARTICLE XXVI

"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. 

[deadpresidents]

Do you think the voting age should be 18 or 21?

I think the legal voting age should be 16 years old.

If you're old enough to get a job and pay taxes, and get a driver's license (and be subject to traffic laws and fines), I believe you should have the right to vote.

(And don't tell me that 16-year-olds don't have the capability to make educated voting decisions because damn near 80 millions Americans over the age of 18 voted to elect Donald Trump as President in 2024 -- AFTER his historically disastrous first term and the bungled COVID response and the insurrection and the attempt to overturn election results and hold on to power and the two impeachments and the 34 felony convictions and the other conveniently squashed indictments. This entire country is incapable of making educated voting decisions.)

[spaceshipsandpurpledrank]

[itscoldinwonderland]

Adults be like "if you're under 18 your opinion doesn't matter and you shouldn't be allowed to vote" but you can work, pay taxes, become a legal adult, drive a car, get married and start a family, all before the age of 18.

Remember kids, the voting age use to be 21 until abunch military men who were 18-20 got fed up. Old enough to fight, old enough to vote.

And yes this post is about voting but also applies to things like transgender healthcare for youth.*

[justinspoliticalcorner]

UK plans to lower voting age to 16. Could it happen in the US?

The British government said it would reduce the nationwide minimum voting age from 18 to 16. Could the United States follow suit?

Ashley N. Soriano at NewsNation:

(NewsNation) — The British government has said it would reduce the nationwide minimum voting age from 18 to 16, its first change in more than 50 years. Could the United States follow suit? A 1969 law in the United Kingdom dropped the voting age from 21 to 18. Similarly, legislation in the U.S. followed suit in 1971, with the 26th Amendment. On Thursday, the British government said its move to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote increases democratic participation. Additionally, 16-year-olds are able to work, pay taxes and join the military in Britain. A law would need to be passed to make the plans official, but the Labour Party, which supports the plan, controls one house in Parliament and is likely to move forward. The change would take effect in the next election, which is in 2029. In the U.S., voters must be 18 to cast a ballot, and the last time the minimum age changed was during the Richard Nixon administration. Although 16-year-olds can work in the U.S., they cannot join the military like their British counterparts. Discussions of allowing teens under 18 to vote have not progressed far in recent years.

[...] Some states allow 17-year-olds to vote in primaries if they will turn 18 before the general election.

The United Kingdom is set to lower their voting age to 16.

See Also:

AP, via HuffPost: Britain Will Lower Its Voting Age From 18 To 16

[lenbryant]

Oh, Republicans would LOVE to prevent young people from voting. And it is easier for them to be FOR that than what they really want: for all non-white, non-“straight” people to be banned from voting too.

[ivygorgon]

AN OPEN LETTER to THE PRESIDENT & U.S. CONGRESS; STATE GOVERNORS & LEGISLATURES

Stand Against Voter Disenfranchisement: Keep Voting Age Fair!

1 so far! Help us get to 5 signers!

I am writing to express my strong opposition to any efforts to increase the voting age to 21 or older. Recent proposals by some Republicans to raise the voting age are deeply concerning and would unjustly infringe upon the civic duties of legal adults.

It is important to remember that many of our nation's founding fathers, including James Monroe at 18, Aaron Burr at 20, Alexander Hamilton at 21, James Madison at 25, and more, were all young adults when they played pivotal roles in shaping our country. Denying young adults their right to participate in our democracy would contradict the very principles upon which our nation was founded. Would you have prevented these American legends knowing they were capable of greatness?

The notion that if someone is "old enough to fight, they are old enough to vote" holds true today. Young adults contribute to society in meaningful ways and deserve to have a say in the decisions that impact their lives and their futures. If 18-year-olds are fighting and dying for you, you must listen to their voices!

Furthermore, restricting voting rights disproportionately affects already disadvantaged minority voters. We should be working to include and strengthen our populace, including BIPOC Americans, reformed citizens seeking reintegration into society, and our extremely motivated youth. We must work to strengthen voting access for all American citizens, not limit it.

In the words of our American colonials who fought against their British rulers, "Taxation without representation is tyranny." Denying young adult Americans their right to vote would undermine the core principles of our democracy that we have held since day one.

I urge you to oppose any measures that seek to raise the voting age and instead support efforts to protect and expand voting rights for all eligible citizens.

Thank you for considering my perspective on this critical issue.

📱 Text SIGN PVTGSX to 50409

🤯 Liked it? Text FOLLOW IVYGORGON to 50409

💘 Q'u lach' shughu deshni da. 🏹 "What I say is true" in Dena'ina Qenaga

Stand Against Voter Disenfranchisement: Keep Voting Age Fair!

Text SIGN PVTGSX to 50409 to send this to your officials.

[mush-dooms]

I refuse to get behind this recent movement to put a cap on the voting age. it's ageist, simple as that. im sure others have said it better than i will but just because someone is voting a way that you don't like doesn't mean you get to take away their right to vote. besides, you have no fucking idea when someone is going to die. if the cap is at 80 someone could live another 20 years and have no influence on policies that could affect them. not to mention laws and programs that benefit the elderly would no longer be a priority and could disappear overnight, fucking people over completely. protecting voters' rights means protecting EVERYONE'S rights, not just those you agree with.