The Ministry of Interior in Cyprus is pushing forward proposed bills introducing automatic voter registration and lowering the voting age to 17. According to Offsite News, the ministry aims to submit these bills to Parliament by mid-December to allow the relevant parliamentary committee to begin discussions early in the new year.

The bills are currently under review by the Legal Service for the required legislative scrutiny. This follows a public consultation that concluded on October 7, during which feedback was incorporated, including recommendations from the Commissioner for Personal Data Protection, primarily on procedural matters.

Once the Legal Service's review is complete, the bills will proceed to the Council of Ministers for approval before being forwarded to Parliament for debate and eventual voting. The Ministry of Interior’s goal is for the bills to pass before May 2025, as it is customary for electoral changes not to be discussed within a year of an election.

Under the proposed reforms, voters will be automatically registered based on their recorded address in the Population Registry System.

The relevant District Officer will notify each registered voter in writing, specifying the residential address used for registration. Registered voters will be required to update their address within 30 days of any changes by submitting a correction request to the District Officer.

However, address corrections to the electoral roll will not be allowed during the year leading up to general elections, except for new registrations.

The current requirement for a six-month residency in the Republic for registration will be abolished. This criterion previously necessitated proof of residency, which contradicts the concept of automatic registration. Instead, the criteria will now include a registered address in the free areas of Cyprus and a valid Republic of Cyprus identity card.

Automatic voter registration will apply only to Cypriot citizens for the permanent electoral roll. It will not extend to the special electoral rolls for European Union citizens voting in European Parliament or local government elections.