Letters to Senator Dole concerning lowering the voting age to 18 and Dole's responses

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s-con_225_015_004_tr.txt

Transcription (Scripto)

Read Full Text Only (TXT)

Extent (Dublin Core)

10 Pages

File Name (Dublin Core)

s-con_225_015_004

Title (Dublin Core)

Letters to Senator Dole concerning lowering the voting age to 18 and Dole's responses

Description (Dublin Core)

Letters to and from Bob Dole about reducing the voting age from 21 to 18.

Date (Dublin Core)

1969-1970

Date Created (Dublin Core)

1969/1970

Congress (Dublin Core)

91st (1969-1971)

Topics (Dublin Core)

See all items with this valueVoting age--Law and legislation

Policy Area (Curation)

Government Operations and Politics

Creator (Dublin Core)

Dole, Robert J., 1923-2021

Record Type (Dublin Core)

correspondence

Rights (Dublin Core)

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/

Language (Dublin Core)

eng

Collection Finding Aid (Dublin Core)

https://dolearchivecollections.ku.edu/index.php?p=collections/findingaid&id=31&q=

Physical Location (Dublin Core)

Collection 003, Box 225, Folder 15

Institution (Dublin Core)

Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS

Archival Collection (Dublin Core)

Robert J. Dole Senate Papers-Constituent Relations, 1969-1996

Full Text (Extract Text)

This document is from the collections at the Dole Archives, University of Kansas http://dolearchives.ku.edu
(redacted)
Overland Park, Kansas 66204
s-con_225_015_004_A1b.pdf
Page 1 of 10
This document is from the collections at the Dole Archives, University of Kansas http://dolearchives.ku.edu
(redacted)
Overland Park, Kansas
January 14, 1969
Dear Senator Dole,
My brother who is nineteen is on the verge of being drafted but he cannot even select his own president. He can die for this country but he cannot vote in it. you may wonder what I want you to do about this. The solution is very simple either higher the drafting age or lower the voting age.
An interested citizen,
(redacted)
s-con_225_015_004_A1b.pdf
Page 2 of 10
This document is from the collections at the Dole Archives, University of Kansas http://dolearchives.ku.edu
January 25, 1969
Voting Age
(redacted)
Overland Park, Kansas 66204
Dear (redacted):
Thank you for your letter of January 14 expressing your interest in lowering the voting age to 18 years old.
This is a matter which falls exclusively within the jurisdiction of the State Legislatures. You may, therefore, wish to contact your State Senator and State Representative setting forth your views as I understand this issue is before the Kansas State Legislature now meeting in Topeka.
Because of your deep interest in this subject, I thought the enclosed bibliography prepared by the Library of Congress might be of interest.
Do let me know any time we may be of assistance in any way.
Sincerely yours,
BOB DOLE U. S. Senate
BD: gh
Enclosure
s-con_225_015_004_A1b.pdf
Page 3 of 10
This document is from the collections at the Dole Archives, University of Kansas http://dolearchives.ku.edu
RECIEVED
FEB 7 1969
BOB DOLE
Feb 4, 1969
(redacted)
Ogden, Kansas
Senator Bob Dole
State Office Building
Washington D.C.
Dear Sir:
I would like to add my letter to the many others you must have concerning the voting rights.
I think the voting age should be lowered to eighteen. Because at the age of eighteen the army start drafting our young men. They are drafted for several reasons but I'd like to discuss the one concerning Viet Nam. If a young man is going to be drafted and go over seas to fight for his country and risk his own life protecting theirs and ours
Page 4 of 10
s-con_225_015_004_A1b.pdf
This document is from the collections at the Dole Archives, University of Kansas http://dolearchives.ku.edu
he should have the right to vote for the people making this decision. He would, I think, feel a lot safer and secure and maybe even fight better if he knew he helped pick the people sending him. So I'm asking you to please say something to help lower the voting age to eighteen, the draft age.
Thank you.
s-con_225_015_004_A1b.pdf
Page 5 of 10
This document is from the collections at the Dole Archives, University of Kansas http://dolearchives.ku.edu
RECEIVED JAN 25 1969
BOB DOLE
January 16, 1969
(redacted)
Overland Park, Kan. 66212
Dear Senator Dole
I would greatly like to see the voting age lowered from the present twenty one years of age to eighteen years of age. I, like many others, believe that when a man of eighteen must fight for his country, he should be enabled to cast a vote for those whom he would like to see rule that country
Sincerely,
(redacted)
Lof. C 1/28/69
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Page 6 of 10
This document is from the collections at the Dole Archives, University of Kansas http://dolearchives.ku.edu
(redacted)
Overland Park, Ks.
Jan. 16, 1969
RECEIVED
JAN 25 1969
BOB DOLE
Dear Senator Dole, I believe that the minimum draft age and the minimum voting age should be adjusted so that they are the same age. I think that when a man is old enough to fight for his country, he is responsible enough to help govern that country. I would appreciate your consideration in this matter.
Sincerely,
(redacted)
s-con_225_015_004_A1b.pdf
Page 7 of 10
This document is from the collections at the Dole Archives, University of Kansas
5/18/69
Form - Voting rights for 18-yr olds
Senator Dole,
Although I have recently turned 21, still feel it important to express my concern about the possibility of changing the voting policy to include 18-year-olds & above. I assume you are familiar with all the arguments favoring this amendment; among them consider the increased awareness of persons of this age group to be the most important. The period of non-participation between high school & 21 is easily extended into "adult" life. The charge of student apathy can be traced, I believe, to feelings of ineffectiveness. On the other extreme, I think campus disorders stem in part from the fact that many incoming freshmen are told that previous efforts to make changes have been ignored due to a lack of student power; therefore disruption of the system is the only tool available to us.
I am a student & I have been paying taxes since I was 18 to this directly affects me. I see no reason that there should
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This document is from the collections at the Dole Archives, University of Kansas http://dolearchives.ku.edu
-2-
be a disparity between the age I can get married without consent, drink beer, drink liquor, vote, etc. As a Criminology major, I have studied the effect of such laws. I certainly don't claim to be an authority, but I think that many are antiquated & now is the time for change.
I hope you agree upon the necessity of passing this measure. Please use your influence upon anyone in the Kansas legislature who may be involved with this. I would appreciate it if you would send me your position on this matter & an indication of the developments currently in both Congress & in Kansas. Thank you.
Most sincerely,
(redacted)
Shawnee Mission, Kns. 66207
SENATOR BOB DOLE
RECIEVED MAY 21 1969
WASHINGTON, D. C. 20510
s-con_225_015_004_A1b.pdf
Page 9 of 10
This document is from the collections at the Dole Archives, University of Kansas http://dolearchives.ku.edu
May 29, 1969
Voting Age
(redacted)
Shawnee Mission, Kansas 66207
Dear (redacted):
Thank you for your letter concerning the proposal to lower the voting age to 18.
I have long supported efforts to lower the voting age and sponsored legislation as a member of the Kansas House of Representatives, over 15 years ago, to extend voting privileges to those 18 and above in state elections.
The valor of young people between 18 and 21 on the battlefield, their political involvement at home, and their deep concern for the complex problems of our times clearly indicate compelling reasons for them to be enabled to vote.
I support efforts in Congress to make the above possible and also favor similar proposals now before the Kansas Legislature.
Do let me know any time we may be of assistance in any way.
Sincerely yours,
BOB DOLE U. S. Senate
BD: bl
s-con_225_015_004_A1b.pdf
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