Cyprus is set to introduce sweeping electoral reforms, including voting rights for 17-year-olds and automatic voter registration, while a significant constituency boundary change could see the capital Nicosia lose one parliamentary seat to Paphos.
Under current electoral roll data, Nicosia’s parliamentary representation would decrease from 20 to 19 seats, while Paphos would gain one seat, increasing from four to five, sources told philenews.
The final distribution will be confirmed when the electoral register closes on April 2, 2026, ahead of the parliamentary elections.
The reform package, expected to reach parliament’s Interior Committee on February 6, includes automatic voter registration that could add approximately 86,000 new voters to the electoral roll.
Combined with the extension of voting rights to 17-year-olds, the electorate could expand by nearly 92,000.
“This will be an ambitious effort as legislation needs to be grouped and priorities set, but our goal is to complete discussions by May 2025”, said Aristos Damianou, chairman of the parliamentary Interior Committee.
The reforms also include plans to phase out voter booklets, allowing citizens to vote using their identity cards or driving licences, advancing the country’s digital citizenship initiative.
Automatic registration will be limited to Cypriot citizens aged 17 and above who have a registered address in government-controlled areas and hold valid Republic of Cyprus identification.
The cabinet is expected to approve the voting age and automatic registration bills at its meeting tomorrow, while postal voting legislation, introduced by House President Annita Demetriou, has been pending for several months.
