Scrap 18 age limit on voting, political reform council says
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A government advisory body which focuses on how parliament and local government function is recommending that the constitution be changed to clear the way for experiments with younger voters.
The constitution currently states that 18 is the legal voting age in the Netherlands. By removing this proviso to allow 16-year-olds to vote, the Raad voor Openbaar Bestuur says it may be possible to boost the involvement of youngsters in politics.
Research by national statistic agency CBS shows that just 40% of Dutch 15 to 18-year-olds are interested in politics, which is low compared to other democracies.
The Dutch voting age was gradually lowered from 25 to 18 between 1946 and 1972.
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