Lowering the Voting Age: Changes in Tribal Election Regulations, 1971-06-30

Item — Box: 26, Folder: 16

Identifier: CAC_CC_009_1_26_16_0020

Staff Only

The voting age for tribal elections has been lowered to 18 to comply with the 26th amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Federal regulations have been amended to reflect this change and eliminate certain requirements, such as the need for a return receipt when notifying tribal members to register to vote. The amendments also allow for absentee ballots to be executed without the presence of two adults to certify the procedures. These changes aim to make it easier for off-reservation Indians to participate in tribal elections.