Ramaswamy proposes raising voting age to 25, unless people serve in military or pass a test

By MEG KINNARD
Associated Press

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy says he wants the U.S. voting age raised to 25. The biotech entrepreneur and “anti-woke” activist said Thursday that Americans age 18 and up could still vote under “civic duty voting” if they fulfill at least six months of service in the military or as a first responder — or pass the same citizenship test administered to those seeking to become naturalized citizens. The 26th Amendment lowered the federal voting age from 21 to 18 in 1971. Ramaswamy says debate over his plan will “catalyze a long overdue conversation in America about what it means to be a citizen and how to foster civic pride in the next generation.”