22 Places That Have Dropped Voting Age

In terms of dropping the voting age, Maryland is one of the most progressive states for teenage suffrage.

The 26th Amendment to the Constitution decreased the voting age from 21 to 18 following the 1970 Supreme Court decision in Oregon v. Mitchell declaring Congress could limit the minimum voting age in federal elections alone, according to History. The amendment was ratified a year later.

Since then, more and more places have lowered the voting age in primaries and general elections. San Francisco has been looking at a proposal to do so, the SF Gate reported.

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Here are some places in the United States that have lowered the voting age.

• Takoma Park, Maryland
In 2013, the city council voted to decrease the voting age to 16, allowing teens to vote in city elections, making it the first place in the United States to allow this right, according to The Washington Post.

That year, individuals younger than age 18 voted at two times a greater rate than those previously eligible to vote, FairVote noted.

• Hyattsville, Maryland
In January, the town followed Takoma Park in allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to vote, giving them a say in the May 5 Biennial Election, FairVote reported.

• Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Virginia, and Vermont
These states allow students who are 17 years old to vote in the primary elections and caucuses if they will be 18 by the general election, according to Occasional Planet.

• Alaska, Kansas, North Dakota, and Washington
These four states allow 17-year-olds to vote in the Democrat party caucus, but they are barred from participating in the Republican’s assembly, FairVote reported. They also allow 17-year-old teenagers to vote in primary election if they turn 18 by the general election.

• Minnesota
This state permits an individual who is 17 years of age to vote in presidential caucuses, but not in any other primary elections, according to FairVote.

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