Question

2. Read this excerpt from the text:

"Today, every State requires that any person who wants to vote must be able to satisfy
qualifications based on three factors: (1) citizenship, (2) residence, and (3) age. The States have
some leeway in shaping the details of the first two of these factors; they have almost no discretion
with regard to the third one."
The reason States have little discretion regarding age qualifications
a. the Constitution says that the minimum age for voting cannot be set lower than 18 years.
b. the Constitution says only the Federal Government can regulate voting
rights based on age.
c. the Constitution says no State can set the minimum age for voting at more than 18years.
d. the Constitution says States must get federal approval to determine voting
rights based on age.

Answer 1

States have limited discretion regarding age qualifications for voting due to the 26th Amendment, which set a uniform voting age of 18 for federal and state elections.

Step-by-step explanation:

The States have limited discretion with regard to age qualifications for voting primarily because of the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. This amendment lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 in both federal and state elections. This constitutional change was influenced by the context of the Vietnam War, underlining the principle that those old enough to be drafted into military service should be allowed to vote. The amendment reads: "The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age." This clause gives little room for the states to change the age requirement for voting.