CHARLESTON – Tuesday, March 23rd marked the 50th anniversary of the passage of the 26th Amendment by the United States Congress in 1971 which led to the reduction of the voting age to 18.  

Because the late Senator Jennings Randolph (D-WV) is considered “the Father of the 26th Amendment” for his 29-year effort to reduce the voting age, West Virginia has taken a leadership role in the anniversary commemoration by working with other states to celebrate the 50th anniversary.  

See more on Senator Randolph and the 26th Amendment at this link: https://sos.wv.gov/about/Pages/26Amend.aspx

To kick off the commemoration of the 50th anniversary, on Tuesday Secretary of State Mac Warner recognize Republican Delegate Caleb Hanna, R-44, with the presentation of the national John Lewis Youth Leadership Award, an award sponsored by the National Association of Secretaries of State in honor of the late civil rights leader and longtime Congressman John Lewis of Maryland. 

Delegate Hanna will be the nation’s very first recipient of this Award.

Delegate Hanna was first elected to the WV House of Delegates on November 6, 2018 — just seven days after his 19th birthday. He is the youngest Black American to ever be elected to any state legislature. Delegate Hanna was re-elected in 2020.

Prior to being elected to the legislature, Delegate Hanna was a student leader active in voter registration at Richwood High School in Nicholas County. For his efforts in 2018, he was named an Honorary Secretary of State. 

For more information on the NASS John Lewis Youth Leadership Award, click on this link: https://www.nass.org/node/2200.

The Award presentation to Delegate Hanna took place on Tuesday, March 23 at a press conference held in front of the main entrance to the WV Secretary of State’s Office (Room 157-K).

If you missed the livestream of the event, you may watch it here.