Question 54 of 100 · 2008 civics test
How old do citizens have to be to vote for President?
From the 100-question list, the version for applications filed before October 20, 2025.
On the 65/20 list: one of the 20 questions for applicants 65 or older with 20 years as permanent residents.
Accepted answer
- eighteen (18) and older
Why this is the answer
Eighteen. For most of the country's history the age was 21, and it changed because of a war. During the Vietnam years many Americans argued that someone old enough to be sent to fight was old enough to choose the government doing the sending. The 26th Amendment settled it in 1971, lowering the minimum age from 21 to 18 for federal, state and local elections alike. Registering has also grown easier since: the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 let people register by mail, at public assistance offices, or when they apply for or renew a driver's license. Memory hook: old enough to fight, old enough to vote, and the number is 18.