What is the voting age in the United States?
The voting age in the United States is 18 years old. This is the same in District of Columbia, as well as all other states. The 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1971, states, “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.” The voting age was established as 18 in 1971, but in the past, the voting age had varied from state to state. Some states allowed citizens as young as 21 to vote, while other states allowed people to vote at 18. In District of Columbia, all residents who are 18 years or older, and who are U.S. citizens, are allowed to vote. They must be registered to vote in District of Columbia in order to participate in any elections, but the minimum age to register is 16. This means that those 16 years and older can register to vote, but they will not be able to vote until they turn 18. The voting age of 18 is in place to ensure that the majority of people voting have enough knowledge and understanding of politics to make informed and educated decisions when it comes to voting. This is part of the reason why most states have kept the voting age at 18, and why it is not being lowered any further.
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