Cyprus has amended its constitution to lower the minimum voting age for Cypriots from 18 to 17.
This decision is part of a wider reform of the electoral system. The changes will enter into force on 1 July 2027 and will be applied for the first time in the 2028 presidential elections.
From 2027 onwards, all 17-year-old citizens of Cyprus will be automatically registered to vote. An additional 92,129 people are expected to be eligible to vote. The 2028 presidential elections will be the first in Cyprus' history in which citizens who have not reached the age of majority under the previous law will be able to participate.
The amendment is part of a comprehensive legislative package aimed at modernising electoral law by introducing automatic registration of eligible voters on the permanent electoral roll, abolishing paper ballots for new voters, allowing voters to confirm their right to vote with their identity card or driving licence, including through the Digital Citizen app, and introducing electronic voting in the future.
It should be noted that during the parliamentary debates, MEPs raised an important issue: information for schoolchildren.
Many expressed concern that children would be given the right to vote without knowing or learning about civic responsibility as part of the school curriculum.
There were also proposals to launch educational campaigns in schools to help young voters better understand how elections, parties and state institutions work. In addition, special attention will now be paid to countering disinformation spread on social media.
In the coming years, Cypriot schoolchildren will not only be able to study politics, but also directly influence it. This is a symbolic step towards involving the younger generation in the governance of the country.
Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou described the adoption of the new measures as 'the fulfilment of President Nicos Christodoulides' election promise'.
We trust our young people and want them to participate in building the country's future. This is an important step towards participatory democracy, Ioannou said, commenting on the changes.
Lowering the voting age is a practice increasingly adopted by European countries. Germany, Austria and Malta, for example, already allow 16-year-olds to vote at certain levels. The European Parliament is also discussing an initiative to harmonise the minimum voting age across the EU.