Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States extending the right to vote to citizens sixteen years of age or older.
This bill (H.J. Res. 16) proposes a constitutional amendment to extend the right to vote to citizens aged 16 and older in every U.S. election setting. It would repeal the existing 26th Amendment, which currently bars denial of the vote on account of age for those 18 and older, and replace it with a new framework that guarantees the right to vote for those 16 and up. The amendment would require the usual constitutional amendment process: two-thirds approval in both the House and Senate and ratification by three-fourths of the states within seven years. It also grants Congress the power to enforce the new provision through appropriate legislation. In short, if ratified, 16- and 17-year-olds would become eligible voters nationwide, subject to other existing qualifications (citizenship, residency, etc.).
Key Points
- 1Repeals the 26th Amendment and lowers the voting age to 16 nationwide.
- 2Section 2: The right to vote cannot be denied or abridged by age for citizens 16 years or older, at the federal or state level.
- 3Section 3: Congress has the power to enforce the amendment through appropriate legislation.
- 4Timing and process: The amendment must be ratified by three-fourths of the states within seven years of submission for ratification.
- 5Status and sponsorship: Introduced in the House (January 9, 2025) with multiple co-sponsors; referred to the Judiciary Committee.