"...and ever since, young people have been making their voices heard at the polls."
~Lily Eskelsen, NEA Vice President
Impact
Although the 26th Amendment allows 18-21-year-olds the right and responsibility to make smart decisions when voting, it would be pointless if they did not vote. Immediately after the 26th Amendment was passed, 18-year-old voting rates obviously spiked, but in recent years they have been slowly but surely lowering from 50% to about 30% of the eligible young people. The NEA, which worked so hard to secure the 18-year-old vote, spotted the problem and started Rock the Vote, an organization that travels around the United States to high schools encouraging 18-year-olds to vote. Young adults have the potential to influence Federal elections, but only if they vote. Therefore, along with the right to vote comes a responsibility to stay informed, make good decisions, and vote for the best options available (40 Years).
"Impact of Youth Vote in 1972 Is Unclear"
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"The 26th amendment was adopted and ratified in 1971--43 years ago. So young people in all 50 states and DC have had the right to vote ever since, but too often they have failed to live up to the responsibility to do so. Democracy is not a spectator sport." |
"Young people these days aren't screaming to be heard like it was 25 or 30 years ago." |
"If every single teen voted, you could totally switch the vote around." |
"Our feeling is that there's a disconnect between the act of voting and the issues that they care about."
~Allison Fields, director of Rock the Vote