[Constitution, Jefferson's Manual, and the Rules of the House of Representatives, 104th Congress]
[104th Congress]
[House Document 103-342]
[The United States Constitution]
[Page 113]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



[[Page 113]]

 

                          AMENDMENT XXVI.a



Sec. 257. Right to vote extended to persons 18 
years of age or older.

  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.


  a The 26th amendment to the Constitution was proposed by the 
Congress on March 23, 1971. It was declared, in a certificate of the 
Administrator of General Services, dated July 5, 1971, to have been 
ratified by the legislatures of 39 of the 50 States. The dates of 
ratification were: Connecticut, March 23, 1971; Delaware, March 23, 
1971; Minnesota, March 23, 1971; Tennessee, March 23, 1971; Washington, 
March 23, 1971; Hawaii, March 24, 1971; Massachusetts, March 24, 1971; 
Montana, March 29, 1971; Arkansas, March 30, 1971; Idaho, March 30, 
1971; Iowa, March 30, 1971; Nebraska, April 2, 1971; New Jersey, April 
3, 1971; Kansas, April 7, 1971; Michigan, April 7, 1971; Alaska, April 
8, 1971; Maryland, April 8, 1971; Indiana, April 8, 1971; Maine, April 
9, 1971; Vermont, April 16, 1971; Louisiana, April 17, 1971; California, 
April 19, 1971; Colorado, April 27, 1971; Pennsylvania, April 27, 1971; 
Texas, April 27, 1971; South Carolina, April 28, 1971; West Virginia, 
April 28, 1971; New Hampshire, May 13, 1971; Arizona, May 14, 1971; 
Rhode Island, May 27, 1971; New York, June 2, 1971; Oregon, June 4, 
1971; Missouri, June 14, 1971; Wisconsin, June 22, 1971; Illinois, June 
29, 1971; Alabama, June 30, 1971; Ohio, June 30, 1971; North Carolina, 
July 1, 1971; Oklahoma, July 1, 1971.

  Ratification was completed on July 1, 1971.

  The amendment was subsequently ratified by Virginia, July 8, 1971; 
Wyoming, July 8, 1971; Georgia, October 4, 1971.
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  Section 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by 
appropriate legislation.