"The 26th Amendment to the Constitution lowering to 18 years the minimum voting age, in local and state as well as Federal elections, was ratified tonight." ~The New York Times
The final steps
On January 21, 1971, the 26th Amendment was proposed in a joint resolution. The resolution was approved unanimously by the Senate on March 10, and the House voted 401-9 in favor on March 23, 1971. The amendment then had to be ratified by the states. After just about two months on June 30, 1971, Ohio became the 38th state to ratify, and the amendment became a reality with three-quarters approval from the states. The 26th Amendment was the fastest amendment to pass in the history of the United States. President Nixon signed the amendment on July 5th, 1971. (Senate)
"Eighteen-year-olds could now vote in all government elections." ("History")
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"Joint Resolution"
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"Senate approves 18-Year-Old Vote"
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"Illinois Ratifies The Amendment"
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