Statewide Iowa — Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is proposing that the voting age be raised to 25, with some exceptions.
Ramaswamy’s proposed amendment to the constitution would let Americans who volunteer for a six month stint in the military or as first responders vote when they reach the age of 18. Young adults who pass the same civics test administered to applicants for U.S. citizenship would get the right to vote before the age of 25 under his plan, too.
Ramaswamy released his proposal Thursday while campaigning in Iowa and drew cheers Thursday night from a crowd in Urbandale.
Ramaswamy — the author of a book titled “A Nation of Victims” — says young people are being taught to hate the country. He cites a recent survey from Morning Consult, a firm that specializes in online polling. It found only 16 percent of Generation Z is proud to live in the U.S.
Ramaswamy’s proposal would affect some, but not all of those in Generation Z, which is generally considered to be people between the ages of 13 and 27. Ramaswamy is 37 and the youngest candidate in the field of Republican presidential candidates. He’s a former hedge fund manager and was CEO of a biotech company.
