GOP Presidential Candidate Proposes Raising Voting Age To 25: 'Not Everyone Will Like This'

Businessman turned GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy voiced his support for raising the minimum voting age in the U.S. to 25.

What Happened: Ramaswamy suggested individuals under 25 could still qualify to vote if they complete at least six months of service in the military or as a first responder or pass the same citizenship test required for naturalized citizens.

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Ramaswamy’s campaign has announced his advocacy for “civic duty voting,” which he unveiled during a campaign event in Iowa.

The Republican presidential hopeful said the "absence of national pride is a serious threat to the future of our country" and that his proposal "can create a sense of shared purpose and responsibility amongst young Americans to become educated citizens," AP reported.

Ramaswamy also acknowledged that changing the Constitution is a difficult process. It requires a significant amount of support from both Congress and state legislatures.

"I understand not everyone will like this proposal and that it will take persuasion to convince many of its merits, but I'm ready to take that on," he said. 

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Why It Matters: In 1971, the 26th Amendment was passed, which allowed people as young as 18 to vote in federal elections. It was created during World War II when the minimum age for drafting soldiers was lowered to 18, prompting the slogan "old enough to fight, old enough to vote." 

States started to follow this idea, and in 1970, Congress passed a law allowing people 18 and older to vote in all elections. However, a few states sued the federal government, arguing that Congress had no jurisdiction over state voting ages, which the Supreme Court agreed with.

A Constitutional amendment was quickly passed by Congress and ratified by three-quarters of the states, which superseded any state laws with thresholds higher than age 18.

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