The Cabinet approved on Wednesday a package of 13 amending bills that give the right to citizens to vote at the age of 17 and the automatic registration in the electoral lists. Citizens can also show their driver’s license as a means of identification at the polling stations.
Interior Minister Konstantinos Ioannou told the press after the Cabinet that the package of legislative amendments will be tabled before the Parliament for discussion and voting, with the aim to introduce the changes before the 2026 parliamentary elections.
He pointed out that the proposed legislative changes aim “to simplify and modernise the electoral process, to strengthen participatory democracy, especially among young people, and to encourage the participation of more citizens.”
He also said that the Cabinet took measures to tackle the phenomenon of illegal transfer of electoral rights and false addresses. Therefore the change in the voter’s residential address, will not be applied for a period of one year before the elections for local authorities. This does not apply in cases of new registrations.
The voters’ booklet is being abolished and voters can use their ID and the driver’s license. Those who still have a booklet can use it but there will be no renewals or issuance of new booklets.
Voters will be registered in the lists, based on their registered address in the Civil Registry system.
Automatic registration is introduced only for Cypriot citizens on the permanent electoral list and does not extend to the special electoral list for European citizens for elections of members of the European Parliament or for local authorities.
The abolition of the electoral booklet, according to the Interior Ministry, will reduce administrative costs.
The amendment to the legislation provides that, at the beginning of each year, voters over 100 years of age who do not receive a statutory or social pension, will be deleted from the lists.
The bills were first put up for public consultation on the “e-Consultation” platform. All parliamentary parties and the competent Ministries/Departments/Services were also briefed on the new changes.
( Source: CNA )
