01/11/2012 11:52
Voting age in Argentina drops to 16
Argentina lowered its voting age to 16 from 18 on Wednesday, a change that could help politically ailing President Cristina Fernandez court the youth vote ahead of 2013 mid-term elections, the Reuters reports.
Representatives in the South American country's lower house overwhelmingly voted in favor of the law Wednesday. A majority of senators approved it last week.
The move to lower the voting age from 18 to 16 comes a year before a key mid-term election in Argentina, and some critics have said it's an attempt by President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and her party to garner more votes.
But supporters of the measure say it will give young people more opportunities to participate in politics, the CNN says.