Young people as voters

Voting age limit

Since 1981, every Belgian aged 18 years or older has the right to vote at all levels, including for the European Parliament elections. Belgium is one of the few countries where voting is compulsory. A first unauthorized abstention is punished with a reprimand or a fine of 40 to 80 euros, in the case of repetition, the fine is 80 to 200 euros. In practice, however, these fines are almost never executed. Belgian citizens are automatically registered to vote. However, Belgian citizens are not required to cast a vote on a list or a candidate. Belgians can vote blank or invalid. From the elections of 2024, voting is no longer compulsory for Municipal and Provincial elections. Moreover, young people aged 16-17 were, in 2024, given the right to vote in European elections. For the age-group 16-17, voting was not compulsory.  The Flemish Youth Counsil was/is strongly in favor of this measure and took several initiatives to promote it among youth (see also WatWat).

On February 20, 2004 the House of Representatives decided to also give voting rights to non-EU citizens in municipal elections. Migrants residing 5 years or more in Belgium, are eligible to vote in municipal elections. 

Special provisions for young people

There are no special provisions for young people in particular, but there exists a general legislation for persons who cannot attend the elections. For instance, in the following situations, persons can vote by proxy (meaning that this person can delegate his or her voting power to a representative, to enable a vote in absence): 

• students for study reasons (e.g., because of exams or studies abroad)
• voters who are unable to go to the elections because of illness or disabilities
• persons who are abroad for professional or official business or who have to work at the moment of elections
• persons who are staying in jail or in a closed institution at the time of elections 
• voters who for reasons relating to their beliefs are not able to go to the elections

Anyone who wishes to vote by proxy for the above reasons must prove the need with a written proof or authorisation from an accredited body (e.g., an educational institution in the case of exams or studies abroad, a doctor in the case of illness ...) .

The turnout of young people

The turnout of young people 

About 90 percent of the population participates in elections. In the elections of 2024, 93,5% of the (automatically) registered voters took part in the regional elections (Flemish parliament) and 89,0% in the European elections (Belgium). This is much higher than the 63,5% of the voters that voted in the elections for the municipal level (where voting was for the first time no longer compulsory). Age-specific information about voter turnout is not available.

Since voting is compulsory (except for the municipal level), it makes however not so much sense to look at voter turnout in Belgium since it cannot be interpreted as an expression of political interest (Vanhoutte, 2009). The intention to cast a valid vote is often used instead, since people are not obliged to actually cast a vote, they can also decide not to vote, by voting blank or invalid. In 2024 89,1% of the voters casted a valid vote for the regional elections of the Flemish Parliament. Because the ballots are anonymous, the proportion of valid votes by age can only be measured through surveys. 

In a representative survey of young people (age 16-25, n=966) in Flanders, called the Youth Monitor, conducted by the Youth Research Platform (Jeugdonderzoeksplatform; analyses on political behaviour are also reported in Spruyt, Dhoore & Siongers, 2023) in 2022 51,5% of the respondents had a valid voting intention. The intention to bring out a vote in case of non-mandatory voting increases by age: 60,0% of the adolescents who are 16-17 year old had no valid vote compared to 52,3% and 40,1% for young people aged 18-21 and 22-25 years old respectively. Besides these age differences, there are large social differences. Especially educational differences (e.g., according to young people educational track position) are large with young people who are/were enrolled in vocational education having much less often a valid vote intention when compared to young people who are/were enrolled in technical or general education. 

Young people as political representatives

Young people as members of political parties

According to the SV-survey of Statistics Flanders in 2025 about 1,8% of the people aged 18 and older was member of a political party (compared to 31,7% for a sports association). The Flemish JOP-monitor of the Flemish Youth Research Platform revealed that in 2022 about 1,3% of young people (age 14-25) was member of a political associations (Spruyt, Dhoore & Siongers, 2023). However, 4,8% was member of a youth council and more than 15% was member of a student council in their school or university. 

Young people as candidates in federal/national, regional, local and European elections

To be able to stand as a candidate one has to have reached the age of 18 at the day of the elections for all elections. No seats are reserved for young people, and there are no special provisions to facilitate young people standing as political candidates.

Young people as elected candidates

The average age of the Flemish elected representatives for the House of Representatives at the time of the elections in 2024 is 46-47 years. This is similar to the situation in 1987 the average elected was 47 years old. Put & Maddens (2019) describe how especially between 1995 and 2007 there was a clear trend for rejuvenation; since 2007 this trend seemed to stagnate. However, in 2019 we notice again a rejuvenation (from 45 in 2014 to 44,2 in 2019). This gradual decline in the age can be strongly attributed to the elected females. There is a striking curvilinear pattern in the age of female elected representatives: between 1995 and 2007, a thorough rejuvenation took place, but in 2010 and 2014 the group of female elected became gradually older.