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Major parties in Japan submit bill to lower voting age

Xinhua, March 5, 2015 Adjust font size:

Six major parties in Japan submitted to the House of Representatives a bill on Thursday seeking to amend the electoral laws to lower the voting age from 20 to 18, local media reported.

Those parties, including Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner New Komeito party, as well as main opposition party Democratic Party of Japan, hope that the bill will get approval in the current Diet session that runs through June 24.

If passed, the country will see 2.4 million more voters next year. Those people aged from 18 to 20 may get their first chance to vote in next year's House of Councilors election.

The age for voting in plebiscites on constitutional changes is also set to drop from 20 to 18 four years after a revision to the national referendum law came into effect in June last year. Endi