Significant Electoral Reform in Cyprus: Voting Age Lowered to 17

Nicosia, Cyprus – May 30, 2025 – A pivotal amendment to the Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus, specifically concerning the right to vote, has been officially published. Article 63 of the Constitution, which pertains to the right to elect, has been revised by virtue of "The Twentieth Amendment of the Constitution Law of 2025", published in the Official Gazette of the Republic on May 30, 2025.

The amended Article 63 now reads as follows:

"Subject to the provisions of the second paragraph of this Article, every citizen of the Republic who has completed their seventeenth year of age and possesses the residency qualifications prescribed by the electoral law shall be entitled to be registered as an elector either in the Greek or in the Turkish electoral roll. However, members of the Greek community shall be registered only in the Greek electoral roll, and members of the Turkish community only in the Turkish electoral roll.

No one shall be entitled to be registered as an elector unless they possess the qualifications required for registration by the electoral law."

This transformative amending law is slated to come into force on July 1, 2027.

The preamble to the amending law elucidates the compelling reasons for this significant change:
  • WHEREAS, Article 63.1 of the Constitution currently sets the minimum voting age at eighteen years;
  • AND WHEREAS, the continuous reinforcement of democratic legitimacy and the improvement of the functioning of the political system necessitate the broadening of the electoral base, i.e., the electorate, by encouraging citizens' participation in electoral processes for the election of state organs;
  • AND WHEREAS, for the purposes of achieving the objective of strengthening democratic functioning in the Republic, it is deemed necessary that the right to elect for the purpose of electing members of the House of Representatives be extended, so that all citizens who have completed their seventeenth year of age shall have the right to elect;
  • AND WHEREAS, Article 63 is not included among the fundamental articles of the Constitution, which cannot be amended in any way;
  • AND WHEREAS, due to the ongoing Turkish occupation and the exceptional circumstances prevailing in Cyprus as a result thereof, Turkish Cypriots do not participate in the functioning of the House of Representatives;
  • AND WHEREAS, the doctrine of necessity justifies the maintenance of the power of the House of Representatives to amend non-fundamental provisions of the Constitution, and in this specific case, taking into account the foregoing, also justifies the achievement of the intended objective, namely the more effective functioning of the democratic political system through the extension of the right to elect.

This amendment signifies a progressive step towards enhancing youth engagement in the democratic process of Cyprus, recognizing their vital role in shaping the future of the Republic.

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