Age of candidacy

In many cases, it also determines the age at which a person may be eligible to stand for an election or be granted ballot access.

[3] In 1934, Rush Holt of West Virginia was elected to the Senate of the United States at the age of 29.

Since the U.S. Constitution requires senators to be at least 30, Holt was forced to wait until his 30th birthday, six months after the start of the session, before being sworn in.

[5] Rather than hold a new election, the previous incumbent, Clifford Allen, was allowed to resume his office for another term.

However, he became eligible for the House after turning 25 on his birthday, 27 December 1964, seven days before his swearing in, making him the youngest legally elected and seated member of the United States Congress ever.

[6] In South Carolina, two Senators aged 24 were elected, but were too young according to the State Constitution: Mike Laughlin in 1969 and Bryan Dorn (later a U.S. congressman) in 1941.

[7] On several occasions, the Socialist Workers Party (USA) has nominated candidates too young to qualify for the offices they were running for.

[11] In 2002, Oregon voters rejected a ballot measure that would have reduced the age requirement to serve as a State Representative from 21 to 18.

During the early 2000s, the British Youth Council and other groups successfully campaigned to lower age of candidacy requirements in the United Kingdom.

[12] The age of candidacy was reduced from 21 to 18 in England, Wales and Scotland on 1 January 2007,[13] when section 17 of the Electoral Administration Act 2006 entered into force.

For example, it may be reasonable to require a higher age for election or appointment to particular offices than for exercising the right to vote, which should be available to every adult citizen.

"[15] In Australia a person must be aged 18 or over to stand for election to public office at federal, state or local government level.

In Austria, a person must be 18 years of age or older to stand in elections to the European Parliament or National Council.

[20] The Brazilian Constitution (Article 14, Section 3 (VI)) defines 35 years as the minimum age for someone to be elected president, Vice-President or Senator; 30 years for state Governor or Vice-Governor; 21 for Federal or State Deputy, Mayor or Vice-Mayor; and 18 for city Council member.

[21] In Canada, the constitution does not outline any age requirements to run for elected office, simply stating "Every citizen of Canada has the right to vote in an election of the members of the House of Commons or of a legislative assembly and to be qualified for membership therein.

To be appointed to the Senate (Upper House), one must be at least 30 years of age, under 75 years of age, must possess land worth at least $4,000 in the province for which they are appointed, and must own real and personal property worth at least $4,000, above their debts and liabilities.

[26] Article 36 of the 2016 Constitution of the Central African Republic requires that candidates for President must "be aged thirty-five (35) years at least [on] the day of the deposit of the dossier of the candidature".

The minimum age to run for the House of Representatives was 25 years until the Constitution was amended in 2019 to lower the limit to 21.

In Greece, those aged 25 years old and over who hold Greek citizenship are eligible to stand and be elected to the Hellenic Parliament.

18 years of age is sufficient, however, to be elected member of the Council of Regions, Provinces, and Municipalities (Communes).

[42] Until 2019, the electoral law set the age limit at 30 years old for candidates to run for the Council of Representatives.

[43] However, the new Iraqi Council of Representatives Election Law (passed in 2019, yet to be enacted) lowered the age limit to 28.

[46][48] The 1922–1937 Constitution of the Irish Free State required TDs (members of the Dáil, lower house) to be 21,[49] whereas Senators had to be 35 (reduced to 30 in 1928).

[51] The Thirty-fifth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2015 proposed to lower the presidential age limit to 21.

Citizens and permanent residents who are enrolled as an elector are eligible to be a candidate for election as a Member of Parliament.

[69] Citizens of Sweden, the European Union, Norway or Iceland aged 18 and over may be elected to county or municipal council.

In the Republic of China (commonly known as Taiwan), the minimum age of candidacy is 23, unless otherwise specified in the Constitution or any relevant laws.

In the United Kingdom, a person must be aged 18 or over to stand in elections to all parliaments, assemblies, and councils within the UK, devolved, or local level.