Today, July 1^st, marks 40 years since the 26^th amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified – which lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 and empowered young people with a voice in our political process. We are celebrating this milestone by sharing stories of young activists and advocates who have used their vote, and their voice, to make a difference.

Click on the pictures above to read their stories – which also include Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Vice Chair Donna Brazile – and share them via email, Facebook, or Twitter using the #iVote hashtag.

Also, sign up to volunteer in the coming days and weeks to help register new voters – there’s no better way to celebrate the right to vote.

To mark the 40th Anniversary of the ratification of the 26th Amendment that lowered the voting age from 21 to 18, DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz released the following statement:

Since 1971, young voters have played an indispensable role in the electoral process. Their spirit and activism help guide the country and their belief in the power and promise of America continually inspires us. Young voters are a reminder that America’s greatest resource will always be the ability of generations to rise up to the challenges of their time. That is why the Democratic Party and President Obama have actively sought to include young voters in the electoral process and make sure their voice is heard at the voting booth. Youth activism has been particularly important to me--having gotten my start in politics in college and having run for office for the first time at the age of 25, I know first hand how important it is to foster enthusiasm and commitment to public service in young people.

Unfortunately, recent legislative actions by Republicans are threatening to limit young people's ability to participate in the electoral process. While Republican governors and legislatures across the country attempt to hinder young people from voting, the Democratic Party will continue fighting to expand the electorate and make sure young voters are able to exercise their Constitutional right to vote.

Today, marks the 40th anniversary of the ratification of the 26th Amendment to the Constitution, which lowered the voting age from 21 to 18. Though it only took 100 days to ratify the amendment, the battle to lower the voting age was years in the making.

Rep. Jennings Randolph, a Democrat from West Virginia, introduced legislation to lower the voting age in 1942—the first of 11 times that he would introduce such a bill. Randolph, later elected to the Senate, had great confidence in America’s youth, saying: “They possess a great social conscience, are perplexed by the injustices in the world, and are anxious to rectify those ills.”

The increased student activism of the 1960s increased support for lowering the voting age, and in 1970, Congress voted for the decrease with the extension of the Voting Rights Act. That same year, however, the Supreme Court ruled that the change could only be applied to federal elections.

That’s why a constitutional amendment was required.

The bill creating the amendment quickly passed the Senate, shepherded by Democratic Senator Birch Bayh of Indiana, and after Speaker of the House Carl Albert, a Democrat from Oklahoma, endorsed the measure, it passed the House 400 to 19 on March 23, 1971. On July 1, 1971, North Carolina became the 38th state to ratify the amendment; President Richard Nixon then officially signed it into law on July 5th.

Senator Bayh, Senator Randolph, and Speaker Albert weren’t the only Democrats who played prominent roles in the creation of the amendment. Senators Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts and Warren Magnuson of Washington, as well as House Majority Leader Mike Mansfield of Montana were all critical. And of course, young Democratic activists from across the country supported the lawmakers in their work.

To this day, Democrats continue to lead in the effort to support the right to vote and are currently fighting Republican-led efforts to pass suppressive photo ID voting laws, restrictions on voter registration drives, and reductions in Early Voting. Young people – as well as people of color, older voters, and low-income people – are disproportionately affected by these laws.

You can learn more about photo ID laws by reading the Real Cost of Photo ID laws.

July 1, 2011 marks the 40th anniversary of the ratification of the 26th Amendment to the Constitution, lowering the voting age from 21 to 18. Democrats are marking that occasion by shining a spotlight on young activists dedicated to improving the lives of Americans and bridging cultural divides.

Just twenty-three years old, Tobin Van Ostern is a trail blazer in the political social media world. Back in 2006, at the age of 18, he partnered with Students for Barack Obama to help 80 online chapters grow to more than 1,000 online and offline chapters across the nation by 2008.

Tobin translated the innovative strategies he used with Students for Obama to his work writing for the progressive youth blog, Campus Progress, where he has covered issues like health care and voter suppression.

When asked about the significance of the 40th anniversary of the 26th amendment, Tobin said:

We (youth) are dramatically optimistic and a generation that takes service as a huge part of our lives.  When young people are empowered by the right to vote to figure out their own futures—we respond and value that important right.

Next week, he’s working with many others to bring more than a thousand youth activists to DC to hear from former President Bill Clinton and the Honorable Kathleen Sebelius, among others. Tobin also participated in the White House Youth Roundtable last week—training young people to become better activists. Tobin remains committed to using innovative solutions to amplify the voices of young people and cultivate a stronger democracy.

July 1, 2011 marks the 40th anniversary of the ratification of the 26th Amendment to the Constitution, lowering the voting age from 21 to 18. Democrats are marking that occasion by shining a spotlight on young activists dedicated to improving the lives of Americans and bridging cultural divides.

Charlene Carruthers was born and raised on the Southside of Chicago in the "Back of the Yards" neighborhood, famously organized by an emerging progressive movement in the 1930s. Charlene didn't learn of the neighborhoods famed lineage until she entered college, but nevertheless credits her upbringing for shaping the organizing work she does today. She spoke briefly about her activist roots:

I've been involved in the political process as an activist since the age of 18. I started community organizing while in St. Louis as a graduate student.  For the past two years I've worked on civic engagement and grassroots organizing campaigns.  My work focuses on women, the African Diaspora and youth leadership development, I also write about and am highly engaged in the reproductive justice movement.

Charlene began her activism organizing with the Black Student Union and the Student Senate at her university around diversity issues and the Darfur conflict. A trip to South Africa was a turning point for her-witnessing two segregated neighborhoods opened her eyes to a bigger world of conflict. She returned to the states with a renewed resolve and began graduate school, studying social work.

Following Republican attacks on affirmative action, she began to educate her peers about what the damning anti-affirmative action legislation being proposed really meant-and how it would affect them.

In 2008, Charlene found herself working on local races for Democrats in the Chicago area. That work led to two more years of field organizing, where she mobilized young people to advocate for health care reform, comprehensive immigration reform, and election protection. Today, she is a youth leadership developer-training the next generation of progressive leaders how to organize online and on the ground.

When asked to reflect on the past 40 years of youth voters, Charlene said:

The country has undergone major transition and young people have always been at the forefront of defining what change is.  Having the right to vote is an essential piece of building power and allows you to harness that power in exponential ways.

This weekend Charlene is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the 26th by training a group of youth to maximize their power by organizing both on and offline.

July 1, 2011 marks the 40th anniversary of the ratification of the 26th Amendment to the Constitution, lowering the voting age from 21 to 18. Democrats are marking that occasion by shining a spotlight on young activists dedicated to improving the lives of Americans and bridging cultural divides.

Twenty-two year old Zaid Jilani was born and raised in Georgia and is first-generation American--his parents were born in Pakistan.  Zaid is a voter, activist, blogger, and founding member of the University of Georgia’s first progressive newspaper, “Stand Up.” His on-campus activism around the Iraq War and use of online tools brought him to the attention of the progressive think tank, Center for American Progress (CAP). CAP awarded Zaid a grant to establish the campus newspaper and later hired him to write for the Think Progress blog.

Zaid spoke about the genesis of his activism:

Politics for me isn’t just something to be interested in. I’m involved in politics because I think it’s a requirement for being a good citizen. I want to see my country be a prosperous and free place that conducts itself wisely and justly abroad. I started to seriously engage in politics when the Iraq war began in 2003; I viewed the war as unwise and wrongheaded, and I started attending demonstrations and blogging against the conflict.

In Georgia, Zaid grew up with parents from very different background than the majority of his friends. His parents spoke and taught him Urdu and Hindi, and their family would travel to Pakistan where Zaid witnessed, first-hand, systemic poverty and the effects of unfair labor laws. It broadened his horizons and pushed him to become an advocate for issues he cared about, like labor laws, civil rights, LGBT rights, and comprehensive immigration reform.

Zaid believes that youth are disinclined to see “the other,” citing a New York state poll that said 70 percent of youth support same-sex marriage:

Young people are leading the way, advocating for diversity—the youth vote has led to better race relations and inspired the youth of today to advocate for the DREAM Act—most youth don’t see the undocumented as different from them, we are leading in breaking down the barriers.

Reflecting on the 40th anniversary of the 26th amendment’s ratification, Zaid said:

I think young people have been a huge force for freedom and justice in this country in the past 40 years. They stopped the immoral Vietnam War, helped advance the cause of civil rights, and are on the cutting edge of fighting for a just immigration system and expanding LGBT rights. They elected our first African American president and it’s my hope that young people will continue to stay involved to create a more just and free country for all.

July 1, 2011 marks the 40th anniversary of the ratification of the 26th Amendment to the Constitution, lowering the voting age from 21 to 18. Democrats are marking that occasion by shining a spotlight on young activists dedicated to improving the lives of Americans and bridging cultural divides.

Erum Jilani is a Harvard graduate student and intern at Democratic National Committee’s political department. A first generation American, Erum uses her cultural competency, language skills, and education to connect with people of all backgrounds. As the daughter of Pakistani immigrants, Erum speaks fluent Urdu and Hindi, and believes in drawing on the cultural lessons her parents imparted:

America should tap into the resource of our immigrant population—pushing a paradigm change.

Erum went on to use her international experience at the Department of Homeland Security, advising the agency on the Middle East, South Asia, and domestic and international terrorism research. Erum first began her government service under a Republican majority, but she grew frustrated with the lack of knowledge of south Asia and Islam.

The election of Barack Obama ushered in a new outlook to the Muslim community that Erum found refreshing. She came to appreciate the openness to diplomacy as a value rooted in Democrats’ ideals. The unique perspective and global outlook of President Obama inspires Erum’s work at the DNC and her continued studies in International policy at Harvard University.

Erum took a moment to reflect on 40 years of the youth vote:

The youth vote brings passion and more energy to both parties—we tend to be progressive and that helps when advocating for issues around gay rights and abortion rights.  Increased youth activism has led to more NGOs focused on social issues. And more youth are interested in foreign policy. Growing up in social media and globalization has made the world a smaller place for us.

Erum plans to continue working to bring more south Asian and Muslim Americans into the political process, and to do her part to register as many young voters as she can at the upcoming OFA-DNC day of action on July 16.

July 1, 2011 marks the 40th anniversary of the ratification of the 26th Amendment to the Constitution, lowering the voting age from 21 to 18. Democrats are marking that occasion by shining a spotlight on young activists dedicated to improving the lives of Americans and bridging cultural divides.

Like so many Americans, the three words that got Max O'Beirne motivated to become politically active were "Yes, we can."

Yet O'Beirne was only 15 years old at the time—not old enough to drive, much less cast a vote.

He remembers watching Barack Obama deliver the now-famous speech in New Hampshire in 2008: "I was under the impression that I couldn't change the world, that I couldn't really affect the world. That speech was a personal challenge to me, saying, 'Yes, you can change the world.' So I went out and started canvassing in Northern Virginia, by my house. And Obama ended up winning Virginia, which made me feel like I had affected the outcome of something. I've been involved ever since."

In 2010, O'Beirne interned with Tom Periello's hard-fought congressional campaign in in Virginia's Fifth District—and the midterm election was also his first experience as an actual voter. Despite a disappointing outcome in that race, he says, "It was empowering to be able to cast a vote to elect a public official instead of sitting on the sidelines. I felt equal. I felt like I had just as much say as any other citizen."

This summer, the 19-year-old is working as a summer organizer with Organizing for America, spending his days at a Charlottesville coffee shop having one-on-one conversations with Virginia voters about how they can get involved in the Obama 2012 campaign. He reaches out to another 60–70 voters each day on the phone and helps ensure phone banks and voter-registration drives run smoothly. "There wasn't anyone doing that for me when I was younger," he says. "I see it as a way of giving back to help people engage their world and shape their world."

And this fall, when O'Beirne heads back to school at the University of Virginia, voter registration will continue to be a major part of his extracurricular life. Virginia law requires a person be registered to vote at their current address—which can easily cause problems for a transient student population. O'Beirne expects to work with the University Democrats to make sure that his classmates' voter registration is up to date with their new dorms and apartments. And while he's at it, he says, he'll get a few "I'm in" pledge cards signed—because he knows just how important it is to get out the youth vote for President Obama.

After all, "It's our future, and we should have an equal say in our future as someone who is retired and 65," says O'Beirne. "It shouldn’t be up to other generations to decide what will happen. And although the young don't usually have as much money to put into campaigns, we at least have our vote to speak for us."