ABSTRACT

In March 2018, Maltese parliament effectuated a constitutional amendment by which voting rights were conferred on circa. 8,000 younger citizens aged sixteen and seventeen. Concerns over the integrity of this decision primarily emanated from the prevalent portrayal of young people as politically apathetic citizens with no appreciation for the responsibility implicit in voting. This widely aired apprehension served to motivate the present study, in which the validity of these concerns was determined through measurement of young people’s levels of interest in politics, their recognition and acceptance of voting responsibility, and their intended electoral participation. The research’s objectives were accomplished through a quantitative methodology and the involvement of 143 of the newest members of the electorate. Results revealed that participants predominantly maintained moderate levels of political interest and high levels of recognition and acceptance of voting responsibility. Moreover, the greater number of participants expressed intentions to vote in the upcoming general and European Parliamentary elections. The study’s outcomes bolstered the integrity of parliament’s decision to extend the franchise to younger citizens and simultaneously undermined the legitimacy of certain opposing arguments.

摘要

2018 年 3 月，马耳他议会实施了一项宪法修正案，赋予大约投票权。8,000 名 16 岁和 17 岁的年轻公民。对这一决定的完整性的担忧主要源于普遍将年轻人描绘成对政治冷漠的公民，对投票中隐含的责任毫不了解。这种广泛传播的忧虑有助于激发本研究，其中这些担忧的有效性是通过测量年轻人对政治的兴趣水平、他们对投票责任的认可和接受以及他们预期的选举参与来确定的。该研究的目标是通过定量方法和 143 名最新选民的参与来实现的。结果显示，参与者主要保持中等程度的政治兴趣以及对投票责任的高度认可和接受。此外，更多的参与者表示有意在即将举行的大选和欧洲议会选举中投票。该研究的结果支持了议会决定将选举权扩大到年轻公民的完整性，同时破坏了某些反对论点的合法性。