Speak Up! - View Question #302

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Question: Why aren't minors allowed to vote?

Answer: The United States Constitution addresses the age issue of voting in Amendment XXVI (26th) 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.'

Minors can't vote because our Constitution, which is the higest law in the Nation, says they can't. As you can read in the 26th Amendment above, only adults age 18 and older may vote.

Before the 26th Amendment was passed in 1971, people could not vote until they were 21 years old. For more on American Voting rights, see Amendments 12, 14, 15 and 19.


Comments
6 thru 10 of 69 comments
On 06/12/08
walter from TX said:
we should be allowed to vote what do they think bad is going to happen
On 05/14/08
Mia from AZ said:

I think we should vote im in middle school and me and my classmates love to sit there and argue with teachers about politics and we learn a lot about it we did this voting thing in school and ever yone was so mature about it because we all know about hillary and mcain and obama.

On 05/03/08
Lenore from RI said:
The main issue is that kids who have jobs are being taxed without representation. When I look at my paycheck each week, the governement takes a substantial amount of my money. If they have the right to tax me, I have the right to be representated in Congress. This is why our country wanted independence from England!
On 01/26/08
joseph from AL said:
kids should vote it might do a better job the adults.
On 01/11/08
crysta from AL said:
i think it is so unfair that kids can't vote.we learn about the elections in school and we know everything about the democrats and republicans so why should we be denied the chance of being able to choose who our leader of the free world is.
6 thru 10 of 69 comments



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