Vote 16 in Malta : strategies and turnout

Abstract

In March 2018, Malta was the second EU Member State to reduce the voting age from 18 to 16 years, and in May 2019 it will be the first nationwide election where this change will take place. Youth participation is becoming an essential topic and lowering of the voting age is considered as a natural step towards increasing such participation. Critics, on the other hand, warn that 16-to-17-year-olds are not competent enough to make well-considered and politically informed choices. While in Austria it has been already ten years since the adoption of voting from 16 years in European elections, in Malta it will be the first experience and this research will examine such milestone. In Malta, there is no existing research on the topic since it is a fresh area of study, thus this study will highly contribute to the subject and it will serve as a basis for further investigation. Other existing research has been carried in relation to the topic in Austria, since it was the first country to lower the voting age and since then ten years have passed. Apart from Malta and Austria the lower of voting age is also gaining momentum in Latin America. The aims and objectives of this research are threefold first to explore how political parties understand this voting group, and what strategies they adopt. Second to Investigate what motivates young people into political participation. Finally, to assess whether youths give different priorities to elections (European elections rather than the local elections or vice versa). The research analysis data of European Parliament elections and local council elections of the voting group between 16 and 17 years old.