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By
Robert Ayers
|
January 15, 2023
|
11:45 pm

Democrats pushing to lower voting age to 16

Congressional Democrats are trying to change the U.S. Constitution by lowering the minimum age required to vote in U.S. elections to 16, Fox News reports

A group of Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives is trying to do so by way of an amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

The initiative is being led by U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY). Meng, on Thursday, introduced a piece of legislation that would get rid of the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

The 26th Amendment states, "The right of citizens of the United States, who are 18 years of age or older, to vote, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of age."

Before the 26th Amendment, a U.S. citizen was required to be 21 years of age in order to vote in a U.S. election.

This occurred after President Franklin D. Roosevelt, during World War II, lowered the minimum age for the military draft to 18. This led to the slogan, "old enough to fight, old enough to vote."

This sentiment would eventually, in the 1970s, lead to the 26th Amendment.

Now, however, Meng and her fellow House Democrats are looking to lower the minimum age required to vote even further - to 16.

Meng has yet to release a statement on her proposal. But, she has been pushing this idea for some time. And, in the last congress, she explain why it is that she believes the voting age ought to be lowered.

"Our young people, including 16- and 17-year-olds, continue to fight and advocate for so many issues that they are passionate about from gun safety to the climate crisis," she said. "They have been tremendously engaged on policies affecting their lives and their futures."

In other words, Meng wants to lower the voting age because she believes that doing so would give the Democrats more voters, which would allow them to pursue more left-wing legislation.

This may sound like a Republican talking point, but even the Democrats are admitting this.

U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), for example, has said, "It’s our younger generation that will face the long-term consequences of our political challenges – like stymied action on climate change, gun violence, and reproductive rights. We need to defend their right to vote."

Amendments to the U.S. Constitution are very difficult to pass and would require widespread support: two-thirds vote in the House and Senate and ratification by three-fourths of state legislatures. It does not appear that Meng's amendment has such support.

Written By:
Robert Ayers

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