Under the Constitution it is the pre-
rogative of the states, within certain
limitations, to establish qualifications
for voting. This includes minimum vot-
ing age. With few exceptions, a mini-
mum of 21 years has been standard
practice in this country since colonial
times. Most nations of Western Europe
also have a minimum voting-age re-
quirement of 21 years, but in several it
is appreciably higher — for example, in
the Netherlands 23 years, in Denmark
25 years for the Folkiting and 35 for
the Landsting, and in Italy 21 years for
the Chamber and 25 years for the Sen-
ate. Of the seventeen countries which
have reduced the minimum voting age
to 18, eight are in Latin America, and
eight are communist countries. The
other one is Israel.
Particularly since World War I, a
number of attempts have been made to
lower the minimum voting age to 18, in
* This article was written for The Library
of Congress Legislative Reference Service by
Doris W. Jones, History and Government Di-
vision, June 8, 1956.
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some instances through a federal consti-
tutional amendment, and in others
through amendments to state election
codes by action of state legislatures. In
only two states, Georgia and Kentucky,
has the reduction been accomplished.
Georgia lowered the minimum-age
qualification for voting to 18 in 1943,
Kentucky in 1955. (In Alaska the mini-
mum age is 19; in Hawaii it is 20.)
One of the early (1953) constitutional
amendments proposed in the United
States Senate read as follows : 1
"Resolved by the Senate and House
of Representatives of the United
1 senate comm. on the judiciary,
hearings with respect to granting
citizens who have attained the age of
eighteen the right to vote. 83d Cong.
1st Sess. 1-2 (1952). S. J. Res. 53
was rejected by the Senate on May 21, 1954,
after debate on the measure, by 34 yeas to
24 nays (a two-thirds affirmative vote being
necessary for adoption of a proposal for a
constitutional amendment).
Hearings on S. J. Res. 53 Before the Stand-
ing Subcomm. on ConstJtufional Amendments
of fhe Senate Comm. on the Judiciary, 83d
Cong., 1st Sess. 1-2.
51
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