Argentina lowers voting age to 16

Argentina’s Congress has approved a government sponsored bill to lower the voting age from 18 to 16.

The fractious bill was fiercely debated late into the night in a session that descended into chaos with a mass walkout after a politician from youth movement La Campora accused the opposition of “narco-socialism,” referring to a recent corruption scandal (see a video here). Nevertheless government supporters managed to muster the required quorum of 129 votes and the measure passed by 131 for to 2 against.

The new measure will add nearly 1.5 million Argentines to the electoral roll in time for next year’s mid-term elections. However, voting for 16 and 17 year-olds will be optional, not mandatory as it is for the rest of the population.

The new law sees Argentina join other Latin American countries Brazil, Ecuador, Nicaragua in setting the voting age at 16. Its supporters say the bill will strengthen Argentina’s democracy by broadening participation.

However, critics have accused President Cristiana Fernandez Kirchner of trying to broaden her electoral base by capitalizing on her popularity with Argentina's youth.Some are speculating that the bill has been introduced in an attempt to help Fernandez Kirchner gain the two thirds congressional majority she would need in next year’s elections to modify the constitution to allow her to stand for a third time.

While Kirchner was comfortably reelected last year, her popularity has since dived over a sluggish economy, high inflation and unpopular currency control measures. She has so far refrained from commenting on whether she aims to stand again.

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