Voting at 16 in Practice: A Review of the Austrian Case

Is Voting Really Habit-Forming and Transformative? Long-Run Effects of Earlier Eligibility on Turnout and Political Involvement from the UK

“…Our findings also mean that discussions about lowering the voting age should not be framed instrumentally around the long-term impact of higher initial turnout rates. While voters under 18 may indeed turn out at higher rates than those over 18 (Aichholzer and Kritzinger, 2020), this may not establish habits of voting among this cohort. Since instilling a habit of turnout may not be as straightforward as expected, lowering the voting age needs to be justified using other arguments.…”

Lowering the Voting Age to 16? A Comparative Study on the Political Competence and Engagement of Underage and Adult Youth

“…1 Alternatively, in Norway, 16-and 17-year-olds were allowed to vote in 'trial elections' in 20 municipalities in 2011; in Germany, since the 1990s, a few states have allowed 16-to 17-year-olds to vote in municipal or state elections; and in Scotland, 16-and 17-year-olds were allowed to vote in the 2014 independence referendum. In all these cases, the evidence is consistent: when offered the possibility to vote, 16-and 17-year-olds turn out at rates as high or higher than 18-to 20-year-olds (Aichholzer and Kritzinger, 2020;Bergh, 2013;Eichhorn, 2018;Leininger and Faas, 2020;Odegard et al, 2020;Zeglovits, 2013). But most importantly, part of Franklin's (2004Franklin's ( , 2020 argument was confirmed in these cases, where turnout was immediately higher among the 16-and 17-year-old first time voters, compared to that of older first time voters who were 18-to 20-years-old (Bergh, 2013;Eichhorn, 2018;Zeglovits and Aichholzer, 2014).…”

Downstream Effects of Voting on Turnout and Political Preferences: Long-Run Evidence from the UK

“…First, voters under 18 would vote at higher rates than those over 18. This expectation is reasonable, for example as results from Austria show high levels of voting among voters under 18 (Aichholzer and Kritzinger, 2020). However, the second key assumption is more problematic, as increased turnout among those under 18 would have to establish habits of voting among this cohort.…”