VOTE

In an article "How Young Activists Got 18-Year-Olds the Right to Vote in Record Time" by Manisha Claire published in Smithsonian Magazine 11/11/20 she states:

"Passed by Congress on March 23 (1971) and ratified by the required 38 states by July 1, the amendment became law in 100 days, the fastest route to ratification of any of the 27 amendments to the Constitution. It declared '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 any state on account of age'.”

During the Vietnam war a major issue was that young men could be drafted and sent to war but were denied the right to vote, as PF Sloan writes in his 1965 song, "Eve of Destruction", "You’re old enough to kill, but not for votin'".

As a young activist, I can recall canvassing house to house to gain support for this measure.While many supported it, I was surprised by the amount of vitriol and hostility that we experienced from those who did not support it. Along with other great accomplishments of that era such as increasing sensitivity to environmental issues, I consider my work in support of the 26th Amendment to be one of the most successful and lasting of our accomplishments.

To summarize: The polls are open. Please vote.