Question: when was the legal voting age changed to 18
Answer: Many countries , particularly in Western Europe , reduced their voting ages to 18 years during the 1970s , starting with the United Kingdom ( 1969 ) , with the United States ( 26th Amendment ) ( 1971 ) , Canada , West Germany ( 1972 ) , Australia ( 1974 ) , France ( 1974 ) , and others following soon afterwards .