In 1971, the twenty sixth amendment was passed. It changed a current law, lowering the legal voting age. Previously, the age limit to vote was 21, after this amendment you had to only be 18. Many believed that because people were being accepted into the army that they should be old and wise enough to vote. Since the age to fight in wars was 18, the voting age was 18 now. This amendment not only gave younger people their own rights, it also influenced a lot of age restrictions now. Today, you have to be 18 to do pretty much anything n your own without a parent.