Voting age

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A voting age is a minimum age established by law that a person must attain in order to be eligible to vote in a public election.

[edit] History

Historically, 21 years of age was regarded as the age of majority in most countries and included the acquisition of voting rights for those otherwise entitled to them. There were however some countries, particularly those in Scandinavia, which maintained voting ages higher than 21.

During the 20th century a large number of countries reduced the voting age from 21, with most lowering it to 18. The majority of these reductions were immediate, but in some cases a final reduction to 18 was preceded by one to a higher age (eg. 20). Exceptions to the voting age were also provided for in some countries on the basis of service given in conflicts such as the First and Second World Wars.

Czechoslovakia was early to act, reducing its age to 18 in 1946, and by 1968 a total of 17 states had made the reduction.^[1] A large number of countries, particularly in Western Europe, reduced their voting ages to 18 during the 1970s. The United Kingdom was the first such country to do so, in 1970. It led a swift and widespread sweep of the world's leading democracies, with states such as the United States, Canada, Australia and France following soon afterwards. By the end of the century 18 had become by far the most common age at which citizens acquired the right to vote.

[edit] Voting ages around the world

18 is the most common voting age, with a small minority of countries differing from this rule. Those with a national minimum age of 17 include East Timor, Indonesia, North Korea, the Seychelles and Sudan. The minimum age is 16 in Brazil, Cuba, Nicaragua and the Isle of Man (though Man is not a sovereign state). Iran was unique in awarding suffrage at 15, but raised the age to 18 in 2007.^[2] People aged 16-18 can vote in Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro if employed. By contrast the minimum age in Uzbekistan is 25, which age is also used in Italy for elections to the Senate. Some countries also have variable provision for the minimum voting age, whereby a lower age is set for elibility to vote in state, regional or municipal elections.

The only known maximum voting age is in the Holy See, where the franchise for electing a new Pope is restricted to Cardinals under the age of 80.

The following is an alphabetical list of voting ages in the various countries of the world.

Voting age: 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

[edit] A

Afghanistan: 18
Albania: 18
Algeria: 18
American Samoa: 18
Andorra: 18
Angola: 18
Anguilla: 18
Antigua and Barbuda: 18
Argentina: 18
Armenia: 18
Aruba: 18
Australia: 18
Austria: 18 (16 for municipal elections in the states of Burgenland, Carinthia, Styria and Vienna [4/9]); current Government policy proposal for reduction to 16 at all levels^[3]^[4]
Azerbaijan: 18

[edit] B

Bahamas: 18
Bahrain: 18
Bangladesh: 18
Barbados: 18
Belarus: 18
Belgium: 18
Belize: 18
Benin: 18
Bermuda: 18
Bhutan: each family has one vote in village-level elections; note - in late 2003 Bhutan's legislature passed a new election law
Bolivia: 18 years of age, universal and compulsory (married); 21 years of age, universal and compulsory (single)
Bosnia and Herzegovina: 18
Botswana: 18
Brazil: 16 (mandatory suffrage from 18 to 70, military conscripts do not vote)
British Virgin Islands: 18
Brunei: no suffrage
Bulgaria: 18
Burkina Faso: 18
Burundi: 18

[edit] C

[edit] D

Denmark: 18
Djibouti: 18
Dominica: 18
Dominican Republic: 18 years of age, universal and compulsory; married persons regardless of age (members of the armed forces and national police cannot vote)

[edit] E

East Timor: 17
Ecuador: 18
Egypt: 18
El Salvador: 18
Equatorial Guinea: 18
Eritrea: 18
Estonia: 18 years of age; universal for all Estonian citizens
Ethiopia: 18
European Union: 18

[edit] F

[edit] G

Gabon: 21
Gambia: 18
Georgia: 18
Germany: 18 (16 for municipal elections in the states of Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saxony-Anhalt, Berlin and Schleswig-Holstein [6/16])
Ghana: 18
Gibraltar: 18 years of age; universal, plus other British citizens who have been residents six months or more
Greece: 18
Greenland: 18
Grenada: 18
Guadeloupe: 18
Guam: 18 years of age; universal; US citizens, but do not vote in US presidential elections
Guatemala: 18 years of age; universal (active duty members of the armed forces may not vote and are restricted to their barracks on election day)
Guernsey: 18
Guinea: 18
Guinea-Bissau: 18
Guyana: 18

[edit] H

Haiti: 18
Holy See (Vatican City): limited to cardinals less than 80 years old
Honduras: 18
Hong Kong: direct election 18 years of age; universal for permanent residents living in the territory of Hong Kong for the past seven years; indirect election limited to about 200,000 members of functional constituencies and an 800-member election committee drawn from broad regional groupings, municipal organizations, and central government bodies
Hungary: 18

[edit] I

Iceland: 18
Israel: 18 (17 for municipal elections)
India: 18
Indonesia: 17 years of age; universal and married persons regardless of age
Iran: 18 (changed from 15 in 2007)^[2]
Iraq: formerly 18 years of age; universal
Ireland: 18
Isle of Man: 16 (changed from 18 in 2006)
Italy: 18; 25 to elect the Senate

[edit] J

Jamaica: 18
Japan: 20
Jersey: universal adult
Jordan: 18

[edit] K

Kazakhstan: 18
Kenya: 18
Kiribati: 18
Korea, North: 17
Korea, South: 19
Kuwait: 21; males who are not in the military forces, and females (as of 16 May 2005); all voters must have been citizens for 20 years; current proposal for reduction to 18^[5]
Kyrgyzstan: 18

[edit] L

Laos: 18
Latvia: 18 years of age; universal for Latvian citizens
Lebanon: 21 years of age; compulsory for all males; authorized for women at age 21 with elementary education
Lesotho: 18
Liberia: 18
Libya: 18
Liechtenstein: 18
Lithuania: 18
Luxembourg: 18

[edit] M

Macau: direct election 18 years of age, universal for permanent residents living in Macau for the past seven years; indirect election limited to organizations registered as "corporate voters" (257 are currently registered) and a 300-member Election Committee drawn from broad regional groupings, municipal organizations, and central government bodies
Republic of Macedonia: 18
Madagascar: 18
Malawi: 18
Malaysia: 21
Maldives: 21
Mali: 18
Malta: 18
Marshall Islands: 18
Martinique: 18
Mauritania: 18
Mauritius: 18
Mayotte: 18
Mexico: 18
Micronesia, Federated States of: 18
Moldova: 18
Monaco: 18
Mongolia: 18
Montserrat: 18
Morocco: 18
Mozambique: 18
Myanmar (Burma): 18

[edit] N

Namibia: 18
Nauru: 20
Nepal: 18
Netherlands: 16
Netherlands Antilles: 16
New Caledonia: 18
New Zealand: 18
Nicaragua: 16
Niger: 18
Nigeria: 18
Niue: 18
Norfolk Island: 18
Northern Mariana Islands: 18 years of age; universal; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
Norway: 18

[edit] O

Oman: in Oman's most recent Majlis al-Shura elections in 2003, suffrage was universal for all Omanis over age 21 except for members of the military and security forces; the next Majlis al-Shura elections are scheduled for 2007

[edit] P

Pakistan: 18 years of age; universal; joint electorates and reserved parliamentary seats for women and non-Muslims
Palau: 18
Panama: 18
Papua New Guinea: 18
Paraguay: 18
Peru: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory until the age of 70; (members of the military and national police may not vote)
Philippines: 18 (increased from 15 years in 1987)
Pitcairn Islands: 18 years of age; universal with three years residency
Poland: 18
Portugal: 18
Puerto Rico: 18 years of age; universal; island residents are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections

[edit] Q

Qatar: 18

[edit] R

Reunion: 18
Romania: 18
Russia: 18
Rwanda: 18

[edit] S

Saint Kitts and Nevis: 18
Saint Lucia: 18
Saint Pierre and Miquelon: 18
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: 18
Samoa: 21
San Marino: 18
Sao Tome and Principe: 18
Saudi Arabia: adult male citizens age 21 or older (voter registration began in November 2004 for partial municipal council elections held nationwide from February through April 2005)
Senegal: 18
Serbia: 18
Seychelles: 17
Sierra Leone: 18
Singapore: 21
Slovakia: 18
Slovenia: 18 years of age; universal (16 years of age, if employed)
Solomon Islands: 21
Somalia: 18
South Africa: 18
Spain: 18
Sri Lanka: 18
Sudan: 17
Suriname: 18
Swaziland: 18
Sweden: 18
Switzerland: 18
Syria: 18
Britan: 18

[edit] T

Taiwan (Republic of China): 20 (there is a current proposal to lower it to 17 for sure from taiwan.gov)
Tajikistan: 18
Tanzania: 18
Thailand: 18
Togo: 18
Tokelau: 21
Tonga: 21
Trinidad and Tobago: 18
Tunisia: 20
Turkey: 18
Turkmenistan: 18
Turks and Caicos Islands: 18
Tuvalu: 18

[edit] U

[edit] V

Vanuatu: 18
Vatican City: maximum voting age is 80
Venezuela: 18
Vietnam: 18
Virgin Islands of the United States: 18 years of age; universal; island residents are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections

[edit] W

Wallis and Futuna: 18
Western Sahara: none; a UN-sponsored voter identification campaign not yet completed. Will be 18 after that.

[edit] Y

Yemen: 18

[edit] Z

Zambia: 18
Zimbabwe: 18

[edit] Dates at which voting age was lowered to 18 (from 21 unless indicated)

Czechoslovakia: 1946
United Kingdom: 1 January 1970 (Representation of the People Act 1969)
Canada: 26 June 1970^[6]^[7] (federal elections, amendment to Canada Elections Act)

non-federal elections: Quebec in 1963,^[8] Manitoba on 10 October 1969,^[9] Ontario in 1971,^[8] Nova Scotia in 1973 following reduction to 19 in 1970^[10] and British Columbia in 1992 following reduction to 19 in 1952^[11]

Germany: 1970 [2]
Netherlands: 1971
United States: 1 July 1971 (XXVI Amendment to the Constitution, Alaska from 19, Hawaii and New Hampshire from 20; federal voting age previously reduced on 1 January 1971 by the Voting Rights Act Amendments 1970, ss. 302, 305^[12])

prior reductions: Georgia in August 1943^[13] and Kentucky in 1955;^[1] Guam in 1954^[14] and American Samoa in 1965^[14]

Finland: 1972 (from 20; previous reductions were 24 to 21 in 1944 and 21 to 20 in 1968/9)^[15] [3]
Sweden: 1972 (from 20) [4]
Ireland: 5 January 1973 (Fourth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland)
Australia: 1973 (New South Wales was the first state to do so, in 1970)
France: 5 July 1974 (Act No. 74-631)^[16]
New Zealand: November 1974 (from 20; previous reduction from 21 to 20 in 1969)^[17]^[18]
Italy: 1975 (voting age to elect the Senate remained at 25)
Trinidad and Tobago: 1976
Denmark: 19 September 1978 (from 20; 53.8% in referendum; previous reductions were 25 to 23 in 1953, 23 to 21 in 1961 and 21 to 20 in 1971)^[19]
Seychelles: 1979 (lowered to 17)
Belgium: 1981^[20]
India: 28 March 1989 (61st Constitution Amendment Act, 1988 read with Act 21 of 1989)^[21]
Switzerland: 1991 (from 20; referendum held on 3 March)^[22]
Liechtenstein: 2000 (from 20; LGBl. 2000 No. 55)^[23]
Pakistan: 21 August 2002 (Legal Framework Order, 2002)^[24] [5]; was 18 under 1973 Constitution, then increased to 21^[25]
Morocco: 11 December 2002 (from 20)^[26]

[edit] Dates at which voting age was lowered to 16 (from 18 unless indicated)

Nicaragua: November 1984 (from 21)^[27] [6]
Isle of Man: 11 July 2006; legislation brought into force in time for general election held on 23 November 2006^[28]

[edit] Organizations which want the voting age lowered or removed

ASFAR, United States
National Youth Rights Association, United States
Votes at 16, United Kingdom
K.R.Ä.T.Z.Ä., Germany
vote16.ca, Canada
vote4future.at, Austrian National Youth Council, Austria

[edit] Political organizations that have endorsed lower voting ages

[edit] Australia

[edit] Austria

Austrian Greens
Austrian Social Democrats [7]

[edit] Canada

New Democratic Party

[edit] Netherlands

GreenLeft

[edit] Norway

Liberal Party of Norway [8]

[edit] United Kingdom

[edit] Notes

^ ^a ^b "Lowering the Minimum Voting Age to Eighteen Years - Pro and Con Arguments", Constitutional Revision Study Documents of the Maryland Constitutional Convention Commission, 1968. Retrieved on 5 February 2007.
^ ^a ^b "Iran raises voting age to 18", Iran Focus, 2007-01-14. Retrieved on February 4, 2007.
^ Oleksyn, Veronika. "Austrians split on voting at age 16 plan", AP/washingtonpost.com, 2007-01-12. Retrieved on February 2, 2007.
^ "Austria lowers voting age", IOL, South Africa, 2007-03-14. Retrieved on March 30, 2007.
^ "NA panel lowers voting age to 18", kuwaittimes.net, 2007-01-16. Retrieved on February 4, 2007.
^ "Young Canadians and the Voting Age: Should it be Lowered?", Canadian Policy Research Network, 2005. Retrieved on February 5, 2007.
^ "Canadian History 1900-1999", Canadian History Directory, 2007-01-01. Retrieved on February 5, 2007.
^ ^a ^b Elections Canada On-Line
^ Elections Manitoba
^ The Canadian Encyclopedia, Nova Scotia
^ Elections British Columbia)
^ Title 3, 84 Stat. 318, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1973bb.; text reproduced in Oregon v. Mitchell, 400 U.S. 112, 223
^ "Suffrage Jr.", Time, 1943-08-16. Retrieved on February 5, 2007.
^ ^a ^b Cheng, J.. "The 'Qualified Voter' and the Minimum Voting Age", Department of Political Science, University of Michigan. Retrieved on February 5, 2007.
^ "HS Gallup: Little public support for reduction in voting age", Helsingin Sanomat International Edition - Metro, 2007-01-11. Retrieved on February 5, 2007.)
^ La Constitution du 4 Octobre 1958, Art. 3 and Le Code Civil francais, Art. 488
^ Elections New Zealand, "The Right to Vote". Retrieved on 5 February 2007.
^ Encyclopedia of the Nations, New Zealand. Retrieved on 6 February 2007.
^ folketinget.dk, "Representative democracy and referenda"
^ Encyclopedia of the Nations, Belgium. Retrieved on 6 February 2007.
^ Official Website of the Chief Electoral Officer, Delhi, FAQs Q21
^ swissworld.org, "The political system in Switzerland"
^ Constitution of the Principality of Liechtenstein, Art. 29(2)
^ Nadeem, M.; Laghari, J.. Study of Pakistan Election System as “Intelligent e-Election”. Faculty of Computer Science and Software Engineering, Szabist, Karachi. Retrieved on February 4, 2007.
^ Encyclopedia of the Nations, Pakistan. Retrieved on 6 February 2007.
^ "Morocco lowers voting age", BBC News, 2002-12-11. Retrieved on February 5, 2007.
^ Bowman, K.; Lehoucq, F.;Mahoney, J. (2005). "[[1] Measuring Political Democracy: Case Expertise, Data Adequacy, and Central America]". Comparative Political Studies 38 (8): 939-970 (Appendix C). Retrieved on 2007-02-04.
^ Representation of the People (Amendment) Act 2006, s. 4

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../v/o/t/Voting_age.html"

Categories: Ageism | Aging | Electoral restrictions