Constitution Day and the Unfinished 26th Amendment
Constitution Day is a chance to reflect on the history of the Constitution — and what it means to us today.
The 26th Amendment gave young people the right to vote starting at age 18. It’s the last of the Constitution’s expansions of voting rights, but fifty-five years after its ratification, it remains woefully underdeveloped.
One of the basic principles of constitutional design is that the Constitution announces broad principles, and it’s up to Congress, the states, or the people to give those words life. Today, we can point to the fact that Congress has never meaningfully enforced the 26th Amendment through legislation, and that the courts have narrowed voting rights protections more broadly. And at the same time, we remain free to do what we can with the tools we have.
What Young People Can Do Right Now
There’s a lot that can be done. Voter registration deadlines in five huge states are coming up in less than three weeks: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Ohio and Texas. There are over a million 18-year-olds in these states, and they are dramatically under-registered compared to older Americans.
Young people are not powerless to change this. One of the simplest ways is to register—and help friends register too. There’s no single easy solution, but anyone reading this can take meaningful, concrete steps right now.
Digital tools aren’t the answer to everything, but we’ve consolidated our best data, research on state laws and school practices, deadlines, and resources — all in one place on our website, integrating data with policy and action. Take a look, make a graphic, and share it with your friends. Help them understand what the 26th Amendment means, and why your rights matter. Young people deserve to understand their own power and capacity to use it.
Hold Your Schools Accountable
Another way to breathe life into the Constitution is to look at the laws in your state that require or encourage schools to help with voter registration. Is your state — or your school — complying? Talk to the educators and administrators in your life about whether they’re living up to their role in bringing meaning to the 26th Amendment.
Know Your State’s Pre-Registration Laws
Look up your state’s pre-registration laws. If you live in a state that doesn’t allow pre-registration — or only offers a narrow window — call your representatives or your governor and explain why that’s not enough. Tell them you’re paying attention, and that you understand what real support for the right to vote looks like. Even if you can’t register yet, let them know exactly when you’ll be able to, and that you’ll do it that day.
There are no quick fixes here. But paying attention — and acting on it — is a role everyone can play. Politicians understand the power of a constituency that knows what the law should be.
In this way, we ourselves give meaning to the promise of the Constitution. And for young people, part of that promise includes voting.