<P> Alderney and Sark, each part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, have autonomy in deciding the question . Both have yet to favour a reduction to 16 . </P> <P> In the United States, the debate about lowering voting age from 21 to 18 began during World War II and intensified during the Vietnam War, when most of those subjected to the draft were too young to vote, and the image of young men being forced to risk their lives in the military without the privileges of voting successfully pressured legislators to lower the voting age nationally and in many states . By 1968, several states had lowered the voting age below 21 years: Alaska and Hawaii's minimum age was 20, Kentucky's was 19, and Georgia's was 18 . In 1970, the Supreme Court in Oregon v. Mitchell ruled that Congress had the right to regulate the minimum voting age in federal elections; however, not at local and state level . </P> <P> The 26th Amendment (passed and ratified in 1971) set the voting age for federal and state elections at 18 years, but does not prevent states from establishing a lower voting age . Except for the express limitations provided for in Amendments XIV, XV, XIX and XXVI, voter qualifications for House and Senate elections are largely delegated to the States under Article I, Section 2 and Amendment XVII of the United States Constitution, which respectively state that "The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature ." and "The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote . The electors in each State shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the State legislatures ." </P> <P> 21 states permit 17 - year - olds to vote in primary elections and caucuses if they will be 18 by election day: Alaska, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Virginia, Vermont, and Washington . Alaska, Kansas, North Dakota and Washington allow 17 - year - olds to participate in Democrat caucuses, but not in the Republican caucus . Minnesota allows 17 - year - olds to participate in presidential caucuses, but may not vote in primary elections for other offices . New Hampshire allows anyone who will be 18 years old by the time of next election to register, meaning some 17 - year - olds can register to vote in this state . </P>

When did the age to vote changed to 18