78 years ago today, Georgia lowered the voting age

By

Dave Beaudoin

Welcome to the Tuesday, August 3, Brew. Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day:

  1. 78 years ago today, Georgia lowered voting age to 18
  2. Ballotpedia is covering elections in five states today
  3. Six national party committees raised $420 million through June

78 years ago today, Georgia lowered voting age to 18

We have tens of thousands of articles on Ballotpedia about historical ballot measures that have appeared before voters. Here’s one that was on the ballot 78 years ago today. On Aug. 3, 1943, Georgia voters approved the Georgia Age Requirements for Voting Amendment that lowered the state’s voting age from 21 to 18. Supporters of the measure used the slogan, “Old enough to fight, old enough to vote,” since voters decided it as American troops as young as 17 were fighting in World War II.

Georgia was the first state to adopt such a measure. Kentucky lowered the voting age to 18 in 1955, and when Alaska and Hawaii became states in 1959, voting ages there were set at 19 and 20 years, respectively.

Congress amended the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to lower the voting age to 18 nationwide. The U.S. Supreme Court’s 1970 Oregon v. Mitchell decision said Congress could pass legislation regarding voting procedures for federal elections, but states retained responsibility for voting qualifications for state and local elections. 

This led to consideration of the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which says, “The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age.” Congress passed the 26th Amendment on March 23, 1971, and a sufficient number of states adopted it such that Congress ratified it on July 1, 1971.

Keep reading

Ballotpedia is covering elections in five states today 

In the Brew last week, we previewed today’s nonpartisan mayoral primaries in Detroit and Seattle, but Ballotpedia is also covering municipal elections in several other cities. 

Here is a list of the other cities where we’re following municipal primaries, along with the type and number of seats up for election, and links to where you can read more:

Ballotpedia is also covering local ballot measures Tuesday in Detroit and Lansing, Michigan; St. Louis, Missouri; and King and Thurston counties in Washington.

Keep reading 

Six national party committees raised $420 million through June 

Federal candidates, groups, and national party committees reported their fundraising numbers in late July, covering activity through the first six months of the year. Over this period, the six national party fundraising committees raised a combined $420 million. 

According to these recent Federal Election Commission filings, the committees raised $82.6 million during June. All six national party committees raised a combined $62.1 million in June 2019.

Both major parties each have three national fundraising committees: 1) a national committee, 2) a committee dedicated to U.S. Senate elections, and 3) a committee dedicated to U.S. House elections. 

So far this year, the Democratic National Committee has raised $87.1 million, and the Republican National Committee raised $85.0 million. Among the congressional committees, the Republican House and Senate campaign committees have both raised more than their Democratic counterparts. The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) has out-raised the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, $51.2 million to $46.6 million. On the House side, The National Republican Congressional Committee has raised $79.3 million and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee $70.7 million.

Click the link below to see how much these committees have raised and spent monthly this year and every month since the 2016 election cycle.

Keep reading