So, on March 23, 1971, in less than two weeks and with little opposition, Congress passed the 26th Amendment. It was then ratified by the necessary 38 states (three-fourths) in just 100 days—a record time. Suddenly, 10 million more Americans had the right to vote.
“The country needs an infusion of new spirits from time to time,” President Nixon said at a ceremony celebrating the 26th Amendment. “As I stand here, I sense that we can have confidence that America’s new votes will provide what this country needs.”
Many people expected that in the 1972 presidential election, young voters were going to turn out in large numbers, with most supporting the antiwar Democratic candidate, George McGovern, over Nixon. But that’s not what happened. Fifty-two percent of voters age 18 to 24 showed up at the polls, compared with 68 percent of voters 25 and older, and Nixon was reelected in a landslide.
Young voter turnout was even lower in every election after that, and young people have consistently voted at a lower rate than older voters.
But in the midst of a pandemic and historic economic collapse, young voters made their voices heard in 2020. It’s too early to tell whether young people set a new record for turnout. But with 61 percent voting for Joe Biden, compared with 36 percent for Donald Trump, according to early estimates from CIRCLE, young people proved that they can in fact influence elections.
Why did youth voter turnout surge? Experts think one reason is that young people’s civic engagement has been rising. In recent years, students around the country have been at the forefront of climate marches, protests against gun violence, and antiracism demonstrations. And many young people are also politically active on social media.
Judy Lawrence, the University of Michigan freshman who voted for the first time in the fall, says she believes her generation views voting as an important aspect of civic engagement.
“I think the majority of us really do care about the government and politics,” she says. “My whole generation has this sentiment that voting is this really powerful thing, and that it’s a privilege to be able to do so.”