First 18-year-old voter celebrates 100 years of women’s suffrage

MADISON COUNTY, Tenn. — 2020 is a year full of history, and a historic presidential election just adds to it.

However, it’s also the 100th anniversary for women’s right to vote.

WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News spoke with Gwen McCaffrey McReynolds, who was among the first group of 18-year-olds to vote when the voting age changed around the time of the Vietnam War.

“I had done my American history term paper on 18-year-olds getting the right to vote, and to be able to actually vote, it was exciting,” McReynolds said.

From being one of the first 18-year-olds to vote, to celebrating 100 years of women’s right to vote, McReynolds witnessed many historic and political events over the years.

“As a rising 18-year-old, I could not understand why young men could go to war and be killed at 18. People could smoke and drink at 18, and yet they could not vote to effect any of the laws,” McReynolds said.

The issue of voting runs in the family for McReynolds. She says it all started even before being one of the first 18-year-olds to vote after the 26th Amendment was passed.

Her mother was a field secretary for U.S. Congressman Ed Jones, so she helped with events and met many well-known people, such as first lady Rosalynn Carter, future Presidential Candidate Al Gore, former Tennessee Governor Ned McWherter and others.

“I got to make their name tags. Actually, sometimes I served them chicken, but you know, different things,” McReynolds said.

She says voting in the 2020 Presidential election is different from any other election she has voted in.

She says she is grateful to see the record breaking voter turnout.

“I think people are finally becoming engaged. I hope they don’t lose it. People are examining the issues, and I think that has made a difference,” McReynolds said.

She says, as a woman voter, voting in this election 100 years after women got the right to vote is exciting. She adds that several different issues encouraged her to vote.

“When you look at everything and go back historically and see the progress we have made, that’s the reason we vote,” McReynolds said.

A special guest tagged along to the polls. It was Susan B. Anthony.

“She got to go in the booth. She didn’t get arrested for voting this year,” McReynolds said.

She emphasizes if you haven’t voted yet, make a plan and vote on Election Day.