Which Amendment was introduced in 1971 to protect the right of citizens older than 18 to vote?
By the 60s and 70s, the minimum age to vote in the United States was not 18 in all places. Instead, in some places, it was 21. Until 1971, there was no constitutional provision regarding the age of voting, so states had their own laws dealing with it.
In the 60s, there was a movement to reduce the age of voting to 18. It was driven mostly by the Vietnam War, which saw men as young as 18 be drafted into the military. This situation created a famous slogan for the movement, “old enough to fight, old enough to vote.”
Eventually, the 26th Amendment was proposed by Congress on March 23, 1971. It was ratified by three-fourths of the states by July 1, 1971.
