Ready to participate in democracy? Great. First you have to be of age to have the right to vote in most countries. This is true in the United States and Canada. So how old do you need to be to vote in a general election?
18 years old
In most countries around the world that are democracies, vote agis 18, however there some exceptions.
In the U.S., you must be 18 by the next general election. 17 year olds may register and vote in primary elections if they turn 18 before the next general election.
You must be at least 18 years of age on the day of the election to be eligible to vote.
How to register to vote in the U.S.
The age to register to vote varies state b state. In some cases it can be as early as 16 years old. But typically after you turn 17.
Here is a link to discover what the rules are in your state: Click here.
When you go to vote you may also need to bring a photo ID
About half of the states in the U.S. that have voter ID laws permit only photo IDs to be presented. That can include driver’s licenses, state-issued ID cards, military ID cards as well as passports. Many states offer a free voter photo ID card if you don’t have another form of valid photo ID. You can looking your state’s voter ID regulations on this website.
How old do you need to be to vote in countries around the world?
Here is a sampling of voting ages from around the world.
Australia: 18 years old
Austria: 16 years old
Brazil: 16 years old
Canada: 18 years old
France: 18 years old
Germany: 18 years old
Greece; 17 years old
Japan: 18 years old
Mexico: 18 years old
South Korea: 19 years old
Spain: 18 years old
United Kingdom: 18 years old (16 in Scotland for Scottish elections)
More information on voting age in various countries in this Wikipedia article.