Graffiti campaign launched to encourage over 16s to register for 2024 European elections

In 2024, thousands of young Belgians aged 16 and 17 will be able to cast their votes for the first time in European elections, reports RTBF.

Belgium joins a handful of countries extending voting rights to 16- to 18-year-olds following a new law adopted by the federal parliament in 2022. It affects about 270,000 young people in the country.

To celebrate the occasion in Brussels, a voting booth village - designed to be customised with graffiti - was inaugurated in front of the European Parliament during the EU open day on Saturday.

“The booths represent the active participation of young people in Brussels in the next European elections and illustrate the possibility for minors to register as voters," said Joeri Hamvas, press officer of the European Parliament's Belgian liaison office.

Youngsters are invited to decorate the ‘boards of change’ with illustrations of the issues that concern them along with their hopes for the future. The project is in association with non-profit urban artists collective Propaganza.

The booths are then set to travel around all 19 municipalities of the capital; each one will ‘adopt’ a booth to launch the debate at the local level.

"The aim is to make young people think about the theme of democracy," added Hamvas, who pointed out that the initiative was aimed at encouraging them to register on the electoral list.

To vote in the European elections in 2024, 16- and 17-year-olds have to register online or at their municipality.

Any minor who is at least 16-years-old on election day (the date has not yet been set, but is likely to be early June 2024) and has registered on the electoral list, will receive a summons to vote and is then legally required to attend the polling station.