ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION No. 76

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRODUCED MARCH 18, 1996

By Assemblymen GEIST, LANCE, Bateman, Assemblywoman Myers, Assemblymen Carroll, O'Toole, Russo, Stuhltrager, Corodemus and Kramer

An Assembly Resolution commemorating the 25th anniversary of the ratification of the Twenty-Sixth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

Whereas, The Twenty-Sixth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States was ratified on July 1, 1971, and gave Americans who are eighteen years of age or older the right to vote; and

Whereas, Twenty-five years ago, these young adults, then estimated to comprise nearly 45 percent of the country's population, had no right of suffrage, no representation and no means of directly participating in the political process; and

Whereas, Across the nation and this State, our leaders recognized this inequity of denying citizens and residents over the age of eighteen the vote, and ratified the Twenty-Sixth Amendment to uphold the principle that adult citizens must be able to vote in order to have a vital stake in the affairs of the State and country, and to actively participate in all facets of political and community life; and

Whereas, Many young people in New Jersey were active in promoting this amendment, and New Jersey's approval on May 4, 1971 made it the 22nd state to ratify this amendment; now, therefore,

    Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

    This House recognizes the activities of New Jersey's youth in promoting the adoption of the Twenty-Sixth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States and urges the citizens of this State to observe the 25th anniversary of its ratification with appropriate activities and programs.

STATEMENT

    This resolution recognizes the efforts of New Jersey's youth in promoting the ratification of the Twenty-Sixth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States which gave eighteen to twenty-one year-olds the right of suffrage, and urges New Jerseyans to commemorate the ratification with appropriate activities and programs.

Commemorates the 25th anniversary of the ratification of the Twenty-Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution giving suffrage to 18-year old citizens.