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By jobphillips
On July 6, 2018

On This Day: 26th Amendment is passed by Congress

In 1971, Congress passed a Joint Resolution to grant the right to vote to American citizens who are 18 years of age or older. After 11 attempts by U.S. Senator Jennings Randolph to get the voting age lowered from 21 to 18, the U.S. Senate approved the resolution on March 10, 1971. After it passed the U.S. House of Representatives, it took 3 months and 8 days to be ratified by three-fourths of state legislatures - the shortest period of time for any amendment. On July 5, 1971, in a ceremony at the White House, President Richard Nixon oversaw the certification of the amendment.