The Right to Vote at Age 18: Gen Z and the Fight Against Voter Suppression

July 1 marks 50 years since the ratification of the 26th Amendment. The lowering of the voting age from 21 to 18 had lasting impacts on the political and cultural landscapes of the 1970s, but even now youth organizing and social activism have a massive influence on American elections, policies and progress.

In honor of this historic anniversary, join our panel of youth organizers leading the fight against youth voter suppression and to learn how the 26th Amendment might help provide contemporary solutions.

SPEAKERS

Thandiwe Abdullah

Co-Founder, Black Lives Matter Youth Vanguard

Alex Edgar

Voting Rights Activist; University of California, Berkeley, Freshman Class of 2025

Divyansh Kaushik

Ph.D. student, Carnegie Mellon University; President, Carnegie Mellon University Graduate Student Assembly; Advisory Board Member, Students Learn Students Vote

Rainesford Stauffer

Freelance Writer; Author, An Ordinary Age—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on July 26th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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