THE INDEPENDENT REGULATORY body tasked with overseeing the integrity of Irish elections has been asked by Minister for Local Government Darragh O’Brien to consider a range of changes to the Irish electoral system.

One of the areas of research to be examined by the new Electoral Commission is whether to reduce Ireland’s voting age, which currently stands at 18. Several countries, including Scotland, Wales, Argentina, Austria and Brazil currently have a voting age of 16, while Greece has set its legal voting age at 17. 

Other countries, such as Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, have a legal voting age of 16 if employed, and 18 if not. The vast majority of countries, however, still have a voting age of 18.

Other potential changes being studied include getting rid of by-elections, and heavier restrictions of political posters, both of which we asked you about earlier this week.

Today we want to know… Would you like to see the voting age lowered in Ireland?

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