Taiwan lawmakers have voted unanimously to lower the voting age from 20 to 18. The amendment to Taiwan’s constitution passed the legislature on Friday with cross-party support and a resounding 109 votes in favor.
The move would also lower the age of candidacy to 18. Right now, only people aged 23 and over are eligible to stand for public office.
The question of lowering the voting and candidacy age will now go to a popular referendum, which is likely to take place at the end of this year.
Before Friday’s vote, it was unclear whether the move would get the support of enough lawmakers. To pass the legislature, constitutional amendments need three-quarters of votes in favor, with at least three-quarters of lawmakers present. In practice, that means amendments need the support of both of Taiwan’s two biggest parties.
The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) had already announced its support for lowering the voting age, alongside two smaller opposition parties. But Taiwan’s largest opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), had not made it clear how its lawmakers would vote.
In the end, after holding a meeting on Friday, the KMT decided to vote in favor of lowering the voting age.
After Taiwan’s government signs off on the amendment proposal, the question of lowering the voting age will go to a popular referendum, to take place at least six months in the future. To go into effect, at least half of Taiwan’s eligible voters need to agree to lower the voting age. That means about 9.65 million votes.
Since reaching that vote total would require a sizable voter turnout, Taiwan’s ruling party wants to hold the referendum at the same time as local elections at the end of the year. Those elections will take place November 26.