According to LiJOt president Domantas Katelė, there are many arguments. Such a change, he said, would allow increasing the involvement of young people in democratic processes.
“In the municipal elections, we saw a turnout of thirty-three with a decimal point, which has not changed for many years. Another moment, which is perhaps important, young people aged 18-19 choose to migrate to big cities, Vilnius, Kaunas, so the problems of local self-government are no longer as relevant as they are for a young person aged 16-17”, D. said to LRT radio on Tuesday. Cat.
“However, the main argument we rely on is research that shows that voting is directly related to habit, so that every month after the age of majority, when the first vote takes place, (…) the probability that a young person will come to vote decreases, therefore, we must bring elections closer to young people, bring them closer to the formation of that habit and have a strong, civil, democratic society,” he said.
In order to achieve changes, youth organizations applied to the Central Election Commission (CEC) to issue special sheets for collecting signatures. It is planned to start collecting signatures in the near future.
Ieva Petronytė-Urbonavičienė, director of the Institute of Civil Society and political scientist at the VU Institute of International Relations and Political Sciences, says that in order to legalize voting from the age of 16, the youth should be additionally educated and aware, so that young people are not manipulated.
“The picture of the youth is motley enough. The significance and importance of the same civic education both in schools and outside of schools is probably very important here,” said I. Petronytė-Urbonavičienė to LRT.
Guoda Vaitiekutė, coordinator of the “I know what I’m choosing” network, says that Scotland is one of the examples where young people are given the opportunity to vote from the age of 16. Estonians also have such an opportunity to vote in municipal elections.
“It has activated young people to vote, it has activated certain parties to turn to the young person with their electoral program, but all the studies show that it goes hand in hand with education, that is, if we have strong civic education, then people start voting at 16 or 18,” – said G. Vaitiekutė.
She also emphasized that it is necessary to talk about a sustainable network of non-governmental organizations, state institutions and educational institutions, a system where partners could participate in the educational process.
D. Katelė said that he communicated with Seimas factions regarding the amendment of the election law and received a rather favorable assessment. For now, LiJot seeks to legalize voting from the age of 16 only in municipal elections.
“A logical and pragmatic decision. We can see that talking about voting from the age of 16 would not receive so much support in the Seimas elections, although the European Parliament (…) says that voting from the age of 16 should be at all levels. It seems to me that we could take the first step in the municipal elections, and in the future we can talk about the elections of the European Parliament, the President and the Seimas”, said the president of LiJOt.
According to him, the current citizenship education and its concept do not educate a person who understands the functions of the state, who is able to give his voice in a reasoned way, so when initiating changes, changes in citizenship education are also aimed at.
Currently, the country’s Constitution stipulates that citizens who are 18 years old on election day have the right to vote.
The Election Code stipulates that 18-year-olds can be elected mayors and members of municipal councils.
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Why the voting age should not be lowered to 16 essay
**Interview: The Case for Lowering the Voting Age**
**Host:** Good morning, and thank you for joining us today. We’re delighted to have Domantas Katelė, president of LiJot, with us to discuss the movement to lower the voting age to 16. Domantas, thank you for being here.
**Domantas Katelė:** Thank you for having me!
**Host:** Let’s dive right in. What do you believe are the most compelling reasons to lower the voting age?
**Domantas Katelė:** Well, one of our key arguments is that lowering the voting age can significantly increase the involvement of young people in democratic processes. For instance, we noticed a troubling turnout of just 33% in recent municipal elections, a figure that hasn’t changed in years. If we let younger individuals vote, we can foster a habit of voting that could improve these numbers over time.
**Host:** That makes a lot of sense. You mentioned the importance of forming a voting habit. Can you elaborate on that?
**Domantas Katelė:** Absolutely. Research has shown that voting is closely linked to habit formation. If young people vote early, they are more likely to continue participating in elections as they grow older. By allowing them to vote at 16 or 17, we can help cultivate that civic engagement from a young age, creating a more robust democratic society.
**Host:** Interesting. I understand you’ve been communicating with various factions in Seimas about this initiative. What has been their response?
**Domantas Katelė:** The feedback has been quite positive. Many seem open to the idea and understand its potential benefits. We’re currently working on collecting signatures to support our proposal, and we believe there’s momentum building around this issue.
**Host:** That’s encouraging! Ieva Petronytė-Urbonavičienė, a political scientist, suggests that educating youth about civic responsibilities is crucial. What are your thoughts on this?
**Domantas Katelė:** I completely agree. Education is fundamental. We need strong civic education both in schools and outside to ensure that young voters are aware and not easily manipulated. Programs that foster critical thinking and understanding of political processes can empower young people to make informed choices.
**Host:** Guoda Vaitiekutė mentioned examples from Scotland and Estonia, where young people already vote at 16. Have you seen any impacts from these changes in those regions?
**Domantas Katelė:** Yes, absolutely. In Scotland, engaging young voters has prompted political parties to tailor their messages to younger demographics, which is a positive sign for democratic engagement. Studies suggest that such early voting opportunities, paired with effective educational initiatives, can lead to greater political participation and awareness among youth.
**Host:** It sounds like there’s a collective effort needed to implement this change successfully. What do you envision as the next steps in this process?
**Domantas Katelė:** Our immediate focus is on the signature collection to bolster our case to the Central Election Commission. Beyond that, we aim to build partnerships among NGOs, educational institutions, and the government to create a comprehensive civic education framework to support these young voters.
**Host:** Domantas, thank you for sharing your insights with us today. It’s clear that lowering the voting age is a well-thought-out initiative with the potential to enrich our democracy.
**Domantas Katelė:** Thank you for the opportunity to discuss this important topic!
