More than 100 members of the Lithuanian parliament, Seimas, have proposed a constitutional amendment that would allow 16-year-olds to vote in municipal elections for mayors and local councils.
The authors of the amendment say the change would encourage greater political participation among young people.
“It would create conditions for youth to engage in political processes earlier and contribute to decisions affecting their local environment,” the explanatory note to the bill states.
The proposal argues that because education in Lithuania is mandatory until age 16, teenagers at that age are already familiar with the basics of civics. It also notes that 16-year-olds have official identification, can be held criminally liable, are permitted to work and pay taxes, and may make independent decisions regarding their healthcare.
Currently, the Lithuanian constitution grants voting rights only to citizens who are at least 18 years old on election day.
However, turnout among young voters in Lithuania remains low. For example, only 33.4% of young voters participated in the 2023 municipal elections. Youth turnout was 49.2% in the first round of the 2019 presidential election, 49% in the 2024 presidential election, 18% in the last European Parliament election, and 35.7% in the most recent parliamentary election among voters aged 18 to 29.
A similar proposal was introduced in the previous parliamentary term by Liberal MP Andrius Bagdonas but never reached the plenary stage for debate.
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