At the invitation of the Center for Civic Engagement, Dr. Meghan Leonard of Politics and Government gave a presentation to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 26th Amendment in celebration of Constitution Day. This amendment extended the right to vote to those as young as 18-year-olds.
Leonard explained the history of the amendment, which came in part in response to the Vietnam War and the draft. In discussing young voters, Dr. Leonard challenged the notion that younger voters are simply lazy or disinterested and explained that voting is hard, and voter suppression efforts in the states are making it harder. As demonstrated by the protests for Black Lives Matter and racial justice, climate change, and the March for Our Lives, young people are engaged in politics and want to vote, but voting laws and regulations make this a challenging task. We can improve young voter turnout by helping students gain the necessary skills to vote and be active, life-long participants in democracy.
More than 20 students, staff, and faculty attended the presentation with lively Q&A session after the presentation.
