In 1919, after having a series of strokes and ignoring warning signs of ill-health and neurological problems, President Woodrow Wilson had a massive stroke from which he never recovered during his presidency. However, it wasnt clear what should happen if the president was temporarily incapacitated or if the vice president was incapacitated. In the turmoil surrounding the unpopular Vietnam War, lowering the national voting age became a controversial topic. Serving in the ongoing Vietnam War, however, was another matter. The 26th Amendment also has great contemporary relevance. And that's a good thing. The 25th amendment was ratified onFebruary 10, 1967. Proponents of youth voting rights advanced multiple arguments. It also prevents the state from imposing discriminatory burdens on voting rights. The Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. Until the 25th Amendment, each administration came up with its own plan to handle presidential and vice-presidential vacancies and reinstatement. This Amendment also dealt with The text of the amendment states as follows: 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., Section 2: The Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.. 4 . Unlike, say, the 2nd Amendment guaranteeing the right to own guns, the 13th Amendment effectively prohibiting slavery or the 21st Amendment repealing Prohibition, the 26th Amendment is rarely embraced by politicians, almost never held up as a democratic ideal, and largely taken for granted by the general public. Eisenhower identified Nixon as the person who should determine his inability to perform his duties. The 25th Amendment: Section 4 and March 30, 1981. The 1960s: Polarization, Cynicism, and the Youth Rebellion, Effects of Watergate: The Good and the Bad, youth vote helped sweep President Barack Obama, Voting Rights Still a Political Issue, 50 Years Later, The Real Political Revolution Would Be Getting Young People to Vote, Millennials Must Vote to Enact Change and Sustain Representative Democracy, California Do Not Sell My Personal Information Request. A collection of moments during and after Barack Obama's presidency. The New Yorker. The long debate over lowering the voting age began during World War II On July 6, Congress passed a joint resolution and forwarded it to the states for ratification. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. Begin typing to search, use arrow keys to navigate, use enter to select. It read more, The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution granted American women the right to vote, a right known as womens suffrage, and was ratified on August 18, 1920, ending almost a century of protest. Though the 26th Amendment was bestowed upon the first generation of baby boomers in the early '70s, historians say it was actually conceived by their fathers: American GIs conscripted to fight in World War II. It held that Oregon did not have to adhere to the new law for state elections (but it would have had to go along with the requirement for federal elections that took place in Oregon, which is logistically difficult). 1971 et seq. "When they don't vote, then politicians are affirmed in their belief that young people don't care, and they don't have to pay attention to young people's priorities.". Instead of steering the nation to the left, however, the 26th Amendment helped President Richard Nixon who pushed for its ratification win re-election in a landslide, trouncing George McGovern, the liberal anti-war senator most thought would benefit from an influx of new young voters. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. But the battle was fierce. The University of Arizona Health Sciences Library. Stay informed daily on the latest news and advice on COVID-19 from the editors at U.S. News & World Report. Ron DeSantis extended the states voter registration deadline after the state's website crashed. The Reagan Library Education Blog. Congress quickly passed a draft, two-thirds majority of states ratified it in less than four months, and Nixon signed it into law in July 1971. Spurred by the fact that 18-year-olds could be drafted to fight in the Vietnam War but could not vote in most states, the amendment was ratified on July 1, 1971. 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