Ep. 73: Old Enough to Die, Too Young to Vote - The Twenty-Sixth Amendment

In this episode of Signed Into Law, we explore the Twenty-Sixth Amendment, ratified in 1971, which lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 across all American elections. Born from the Vietnam War era's rallying cry that those old enough to be drafted and die for their country should be old enough to vote, this amendment became one of the fastest-ratified constitutional changes in U.S. history.Discover how student activism, the draft, and changing social attitudes converged to expand democratic participation to millions of young Americans. We examine the political debates, the Supreme Court case that prompted congressional action, and the lasting impact this amendment has had on American elections and youth civic engagement.Subscribe to Signed Into Law for more fascinating stories about the legislation that shaped America. New episodes explore the laws, amendments, and policies that define our nation's legal landscape.This episode includes AI-generated content.