What is the 26th Amendment and why was it adopted?

Answer 1

Popular Support

The Twenty-sixth Amendment reduced the legal voting age from 21 to 18. The Amendment received popular support from the public because it was proposed and ratified during the Vietnam War. The most common argument supporting ratification was that men could be drafted and risk their lives for their country at age 18, but were still considered too young to vote. They often said "Old enough to fight, Old enough to vote"

The Supreme Court

The Twenty-sixth Amendment was passed not in response to public pressure, but to the US Supreme Court's decision in Oregon v. Mitchell, 400 US 112 (1970), that held a section of the 1970 amendment to the Voting Rights Act of 1965 unconstitutional. The Court declared the federal government couldn't dictate voting regulations to states by legislation.

The Amendment was ratified by the states on July 5, 1971, and has not been challenged.

This is a regulatory Amendment that isn't amenable to special uses or limitations, except those that apply to voter eligibility, in general.

Amendment XXVI

Section 1.

The right of citizens of the United States, who are 18 years of age or older, to vote, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of age.

Section 2.

The Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.