First Military Draft Lottery

Under the previous selective service system, thousands of local draft boards, staffed by volunteers, produced draftees based on government quotas. Allegations that some boards practiced discrimination and favoritism contributed to growing public disaffection with the war.

In an attempt to introduce greater fairness into the system, the United States establishes a draft lottery. Officials choose capsules, each containing a day of the year, at random in public. They number the capsules in the order selected. Men with birthdays on the lower numbered dates are the most likely to be drafted.

The lottery remains in force until 1973, but the effect it has on who serves in Vietnam is minimal because troop withdrawals have already begun.¹