Dear John,

On July 1, 1971, the 26th Amendment was signed into law, giving 18-year-olds the freedom to vote. Fifty years later, youth voters are bucking trends and overcoming obstacles to break turnout records in 2018 and 2020!

In response, extremist politicians have introduced more than 400 bills across 48 states to make it harder to vote. This is more than a direct assault on our democracy; This is a calculated move to silence the voices and strip the current and future power of an increasingly diverse electorate. 

Check out Rock the Vote’s newly updated voting rights resources summarizing how state policies impact young people’s access to democracy.

We are not powerless in the face of this assault on democracy.

We must remember it was a long road to the 26th Amendment, starting in World War II, not during the Vietnam War as most of us think. Georgia, the first state to lower the voting age, did so in 1942 – nearly 30 years before the 26th Amendment was signed into law. We owe it to those activists to know our history and continue the fight for voting rights.  

We cannot afford to give up on our democracy! Thanks for everything you do to protect our freedom to vote.

– Michelle Stockwell
Deputy Director of Campaigns and Democracy

P.S. Want to learn more about how federal legislation will help to protect our Freedom to Vote? Get started here.

Rock the Vote is a nonprofit working to protect voting rights for every American and enfranchise young people in the political process. We are not affiliated with any political party or campaign. To support our work, please donate here.

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