About This Lesson
In 1971, the 26th Amendment to the Constitution was passed and ratified lowering the voting age to 18. This amendment was proposed in response to the military draft during the Vietnam War and the rise in youth activism. Starting in 2013 the city of Takoma Park, MD has allowed 16-year-olds to vote in local elections and several cities in Maryland and California have allowed 16-year-olds to vote in school board elections. Based on the recent rise in youth activism relating to issues affecting their future, advocates for lowering the voting age have pushed for the expansion of voting to 16-year-olds for federal elections. This deliberation has students learn about the history of lowering the voting age and explore the question: Should the voting age be lowered to 16?
