Lowering the Voting Age: Brief Legal Considerations

Abstract

One of the most important problems that a young person entering adolescence has to solve is the way in which he is recognized by adults. If in childhood the distinction of perception is clearer, when reaching the threshold of adolescence, both the adult's personality and his professional and political options are outlined.

Based on this transformation, in the second half of the 20th century there was a discussion in the political and legal doctrine about the voting age – especially regarding the reduction of this threshold. However, the discussion about the age from which a person can vote should be extended to the other end of life, because in some texts there is a correlative issue, regarding the abilities of seniors in electoral matters. This text considers the possibility of lowering the age at which a person can vote, opening this debate in the geographical area of Southeast Europe.

Keywords: voting age, mental capacities, constitutional changes, debates, quality of governance, trust

JEL Classification: K10