Malaysia to Add 50% More Voters as Mahathir Lowers Age Limit
- Next election could see 22.7m voters, from 14.9m last year
- Bill’s approval lets Mahathir fulfill another campaign pledge
This article is for subscribers only.
Malaysia could have 50% more voters in the next election as it’s set to let those as young as 18 cast their ballots.
Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad won support from opposition lawmakers, getting the two-thirds majority needed to amend the constitution and lower the voting age to 18, from 21. The bill also allows for automatic voter registration, meaning the next 2023 election could see 22.7 million voters, compared with 14.9 million in last year’s historic polls.