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The 26th Amendment to the Constitution prohibits the federal government and the states from denying citizens who are 18 years of age or older the right to vote based on age.

1971

The year this amendment was ratified in.

What is a constitutional amendment?

A constitutional amendment alters the Constitution of the United States by striking or inserting new language. The Constitution establishes the structure, powers, and responsibilities of the federal government. It has been formally amended 27 times.

The constitutional amendment process is as follows:

Step 1

Two-thirds vote

An amendment may be proposed by a two-thirds vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate or by a constitutional convention called by two-thirds of state legislatures.

Step 2

Three-fourths ratification

Once proposed, the archivist of the United States submits the amendment to the states for consideration. It becomes part of the Constitution once it is ratified by three-fourths of the states.

Full text of the 26th Amendment

"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. Section 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation."

When did the states ratify the 26th Amendment?

Congress proposed this amendment on March 23, 1971. Ratification was completed on July 1, 1971, when the 38th state, North Carolina, approved the amendment, with 50 states in the Union at the time. Connecticut was the first state to approve, zero days after the amendment was proposed. Georgia was the last state to approve, 195 days after the amendment was proposed.

North Carolina completed ratification of the 26th Amendment.

Date of ratification by state, 26th Amendment

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How has the 26th Amendment shaped Supreme Court rulings?

The Supreme Court has the power of judicial review, which is the authority to declare that federal or state government actions violate the Constitution. This power shows how individual amendments can have a lasting impact on how laws are interpreted and applied.

Under judicial review, there have been zero cases where laws were struck down as unconstitutional using the 26th Amendment.

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Methodology

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USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.