Aargau voters vote on initiative for voting age 16
Published: Tuesday, Oct 22nd 2024, 09:40
Volver a Live Feed
On November 24, Aargau voters will decide on the cantonal popular initiative for a voting age of 16. The government and parliament have rejected the initiative launched by several young parties. So far, only the canton of Glarus has a voting age of 16.
The popular initiative "For a democracy with a future (voting age 16 in Aargau)" aims to achieve one thing by amending the cantonal constitution: Young Swiss citizens who have reached the age of 16 should be able to vote and be elected at cantonal and communal level.
According to the initiative, anyone wishing to run for the cantonal council, the cantonal parliament or the municipal council must still be of legal age, i.e. at least 18 years old. The initiative was launched by a committee made up of representatives from numerous young parties. The young SVP did not participate.
Opponents speak of a "nice template"
"It's a nice bill," said an FDP politician in the cantonal parliament during the debate on the initiative. This summed up the basic attitude of the conservative parties and the government council. The politicians paid tribute to the young parties for having collected 3184 valid signatures and for their interest in politics.
But the SVP, FDP and the Center Party reject the initiative. Their argument is that the age of civil and political majority should not be separated. In addition, there should continue to be a uniform voting age at communal, cantonal and federal level. Parliament recommended rejecting the initiative by 75 votes to 58.
Proponents want to rejuvenate the sovereign
The SP, Greens, GLP and EPP are in favor of lowering the voting age. They say it is about strengthening political participation. Young people can be trusted to do more, as they have to live with today's political decisions for the longest.
There are more and more older people among the electorate. The voting age should therefore be lowered to 16 to compensate for this. The proponents point out that in Aargau, the voting age has been 16 for 25 years in the Reformed Church and 17 years in the Roman Catholic Church.
Clocks run differently in the canton of Glarus
Only the canton of Glarus has a voting age of 16. In May 2007, the cantonal assembly narrowly approved the lowering of the cantonal voting age. In the canton of Lucerne, a constitutional initiative for a voting age of 16 is currently pending. Parliament has rejected the initiative. This will be submitted to the electorate without a counter-proposal.
In the cantons of Graubünden and Appenzell Ausserrhoden, constitutional amendments are being planned to lower the voting age. In Basel-Stadt and Ticino, according to the umbrella organization of Swiss youth parliaments, motions from the cantonal parliaments are pending.
In May 2022, the people of Zurich rejected a lowering of the voting age with a 64% no vote. Four months later, the people of Bern also wanted nothing to do with a voting age of 16 - with a 67% no vote.
©Keystone/SDA
Spanish 
English 
German 
French 
Arabic