A federal voting age of 16 is unlikely to be introduced soon in Switzerland after a parliamentary commission charged with looking at the possibility rejected the idea this week, reported RTS. © Dontree | Dreamstime.comOn 21 April 2023, the commission rejected the idea by 14 votes to 11 and recommended dropping the plan. After consulting with Switzerland’s cantons the commission found there was limited support for the idea of reducing the voting age from 18 to 16. The seven cantons supporting a younger voting age were Jura, Appenzell-Ausserrhoden, Bern, Basel-City, Solothurn, Graubunden and Glarus, the only Swiss canton to allow 16 year olds to vote at a cantonal level. A key argument against it was that it would create disconnect between the voting age and the age at which citizens could put themselves forward for election, both currently 18.

Source: Le News April 22, 2023 10:17 UTC