Justice Minister for Finland, Tuija Brax, said that she is considering lowering the minimum voting age in the country for future municipal elections, according to reports by the Finnish News Agency STT.
An interview with the politician was recently published in the Itä-Savo and Länsi-Savo provincial dailies in which Ms. Brax suggested the voting age be lowered to 16. According to the minister, municipal elections are the ideal place to experiment with a lower voting age.
The decision to lower the voting age will not be made by the government officially either at the municipal or at the national level until studies have been conducted on the issue. The ministry of justice is currently drafting such studies which are expected to be completed by the spring of 2011.
Party secretary for the Greens, Panu Latury, suggested on Saturday that the party stop supporting the status quo and begin lobbying for a lower voting age. The current age of 18, according to the Greens, should be lowered to 16 years in the municipal elections.
The first Green candidates were elected into Finland’s parliament in 1983 but the official party was formed when the comprehensive Green Manifesto was drafted and approved in 1990.
