Berlin lowers voting age to 16 in state election
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In Berlin, Germany, young people aged 16 and 17 voted for the first time in the election for the state parliament, the Abgeordnetenhaus.
Previously, Berlin allowed 16-year-olds to vote in elections for district assemblies and the European Parliament, but the age to vote for the state parliament was 18. Stephan Bröchler, Berlin’s election supervisor, stated that anyone born before September 21, 2010, was eligible to vote, including those celebrating their birthday on election day.
Approximately 55,400 sixteen and seventeen-year-olds participated in the election, a relatively small portion of the total 2.5 million eligible voters. Around 58,600 young people could vote in district elections because those elections also included eligible citizens of the European Union who do not have German passports. In December 2023, the Berlin Abgeordnetenhaus voted to lower the voting age for state elections from 18 to 16.
Supporters from the CDU, SPD, Greens, and Left parties believed this change would give young people more political influence and strengthen democracy. However, the AfD opposed the measure. The minimum age to become a candidate for the state parliament remains 18. Currently, Berlin is one of eight German states that allow 16-year-olds to vote in state elections.
