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Voting age

A legal voting age is the minimum age that a person is allowed to vote in a democracy. For general elections around the world, the right to vote is restricted to adults, and most nations use 18 as their voting age, but for other countries voting age ranges between 16 and 21. Voting age may therefore coincide with a country's age of majority, but in many cases the two are not tied.

History
In 1890, the South African Republic, commonly known as the Transvaal Republic, set a voting age of 18 years. The effort was, like later legislation expanding voting rights for women and impoverished whites, in part an attempt to skew the electorate further in favour of Afrikaner interests against uitlanders.

Prior to the Second World War of 1939–1945, the voting age in almost all countries was 21 years or higher. In 1946 Czechoslovakia became the first state to reduce the voting age to 18 years, and by 1968 a total of 17 countries had lowered their voting age, of which 8 were in Latin America, and 8 were communist countries.

Australia, Japan, Sweden and Switzerland had lowered their voting age to 20 by the end of the 1960s.

Many major democratic countries, beginning in Western Europe and North America, reduced their voting ages to 18 years during the 1970s, starting with the United Kingdom (Representation of the People Act 1969),  Canada, West Germany (1970), the United States (26th Amendment, 1971), Australia (1974), France (1974), Sweden (1975) and others. It was argued that if young men could be drafted to go to war at 18, they should be able to vote at the age of 18.

In the late 20th and early 21st centuries voting ages were lowered to 18 in Japan, India, Switzerland, Austria, the Maldives, and Morocco. By the end of the 20th century, 18 had become by far the most common voting age. However, a few countries maintain a voting age of 20 years or higher, and a few countries have a lower voting age of 16 or 17.

Current
The vast majority of countries and territories have a minimum voting age of 18-years-old as of October 2020. According to data from the ACE Electoral Knowledge Network, 205 countries and territories have a minimum voting age of 18 for national elections out of 237 countries and territories the organisation has data on as of October 2020. As of the aforementioned date, 12 countries or territories have a minimum voting age of less than 18, with 3 countries or territories at 17-years-old, and 9 countries or territories at 16-years-old. 16-years-old is the lowest minimum age globally for national elections, while the highest is 25-years-old which is only the case in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This age of 25 was also the case in Italy for Senate (upper house) elections until it was lowered to 18 in 2021. Italy's lower house of Parliament, the Chamber of Deputies, has had a minimum voting age of 18 since 1975, when it was lowered from 21.

Debate on lowering the voting age
Around 2000, a number of countries began to consider whether the voting age ought to be reduced further, with arguments most often being made in favour of a reduction to 16. In Brazil, the age was lowered to 16 in the 1988 Constitution, while the lower voting age took effect for the first time in the 1989 Presidential Election. The earliest moves in Europe came during the 1990s, when the voting age for municipal elections in some States of Germany was lowered to 16. Lower Saxony was the first state to make such a reduction, in 1995, and four other states did likewise.

In 2007, Austria became the first country to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in national elections, with the expanded franchise first being consummated in the 2009 European Parliament election. A study of young voters' behaviour on that occasion showed them to be as capable as older voters to articulate their beliefs and to make voting decisions appropriate for their preferences. Their knowledge of the political process was only insignificantly lower than in older cohorts, while trust in democracy and willingness to participate in the process were markedly higher. Additionally, there was evidence found for the first time of a voting boost among young people age 16–25 in Austria.

During the 2000s several proposals for a reduced voting age were put forward in U.S. states, including California, Florida and Alaska, but none were successful. In Oregon, Senate Joint Resolution 22 has been introduced to reduce the voting age from 18 to 16. A national reduction was proposed in 2005 in Canada and in the Australian state of New South Wales, but these proposals were not adopted. In May 2009, Danish Member of Parliament Mogens Jensen presented an initiative to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg to lower the voting age in Europe to 16.

Demands to reduce the voting age to 16 years were again brought forward by activists of the school strike for climate movement in several countries (including Germany and the UK).

Australia
After Premier Don Dunstan introduced the Age of Majority (Reduction) Bill in October 1970, the voting age in South Australia was lowered to 18 years old in 1973.

On 21 October 2019, Greens MP Bandt introduced a bill in the House of Representatives to lower the voting age to 16.

A report suggesting that consideration be given to reducing the voting age to 16 in the Australian Capital Territory in Canberra, Australia was tabled in the territorial legislature on 26 September 2007 and defeated.

In 2015, federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said that the voting age should be lowered to 16.

Austria
In 2007, Austria became the first member of the European Union to adopt a voting age of 16 for most purposes. The voting age had been reduced in Austria from 19 to 18 at all levels in 1992. At that time a voting age of 16 was proposed by the Green Party, but was not adopted.

The voting age for municipal elections in some states was lowered to 16 shortly after 2000. Three states had made the reduction by 2003 (Burgenland, Carinthia and Styria), and in May 2003 Vienna became the fourth. Salzburg followed suit, and so by the start of 2005 the total had reached at least five states out of nine. As a consequence of state law, reduction of the municipal voting age in the states of Burgenland, Salzburg and Vienna resulted in the reduction of the regional voting age in those states as well.

After the 2006 election, the winning SPÖ-ÖVP coalition announced on 12 January 2007 that one of its policies would be the reduction of the voting age to 16 for elections in all states and at all levels in Austria. The policy was set in motion by a Government announcement on 14 March, and a bill proposing an amendment to the Constitution was presented to the legislature on 2 May. On 5 June the National Council approved the proposal following a recommendation from its Constitution Committee. During the passage of the bill through the chamber relatively little opposition was raised to the reduction, with four out of five parties explicitly supporting it; indeed, there was some dispute over which party had been the first to suggest the idea. Greater controversy surrounded the other provisions of the bill concerning the Briefwahl, or postal vote, and the extension of the legislative period for the National Council from four to five years. A further uncontroversial inclusion was a reduction in the candidacy age from 19 to 18. The Federal Council approved the Bill on 21 June, with no party voting against it. The voting age was reduced when the Bill's provisions came into force on 1 July 2007. Austria thus became the first member of the European Union, and the first of the developed world democracies, to adopt a voting age of 16 for all purposes. Lowering the voting age encouraged political interest in young people in Austria. More sixteen- and seventeen-year-olds voted than eighteen-to-twenty-one-year-olds in Austria.

Brazil
Brazil lowered the voting age from 18 to 16 in the 1988 constitution. The presidential election of 1989 was the first with the lower voting age. People between the ages 18 and 70 are required to vote. The person must be 16 full years old on the eve of the election (In years without election, the person must be 16 full years old on or before 31 December). If they turn 18 years old after the election, the vote is not compulsory. When they turn 18 years old before the election, the vote is compulsory.

Canada
Canada lowered its federal voting age from 21 to 18 in 1970. A further reduction to 16 was proposed in 2005, but was not adopted. It was proposed again in 2011, but was not adopted.

In August 2018, in British Columbia, a group of 20 youth partnered with Dogwood BC to launch a Vote16 campaign. Currently, they have unanimous support from the Union of BC Municipalities, as well as endorsements from the province's Green Party of British Columbia and British Columbia New Democratic Party representatives. The campaign is now waiting for it to be brought up in the legislative assembly by the NDP and for it to pass there.

In 2020, Canadian Senator Marilou McPhedran introduced a bill to lower the federal voting age from 18 to 16. In 2021, a group of young people filed a court challenge to lower the federal voting age from 18. Several weeks later, Taylor Bachrach of the New Democratic Party (NDP) introduced a private member's bill to lower the voting age to 16. The bill (C-210) was debated in May 2022. The bill was defeated in its second reading with 245 members of parliament voting to oppose the bill and 77 voting to support it.

Cuba
As stated in the Constitution of the Republic of Cuba, the voting age is 16 for men and women.

Germany
As part of their 2021 coalition deal, the SPD, Greens and FDP agreed to lower the voting age for European Elections to 16 within the course of the 20th Bundestag. They also have the aim to lower the voting age for elections to the German parliament, however this would need a change of the constitution, requiring support from opposition parties.

Iceland
The first proposal to lower the voting age to 16 years was submitted in parliament in 2007. A bill to lower the voting age for municipal elections reached the final reading in 2018, but was filibustered by opponents until the close of the parliamentary session.

On 28 October 2023, the municipalities of Vesturbyggð and Tálknafjarðarhreppur held a referendum on unification; the voting age in this referendum was lowered to 16.

Iran
Iran had been unique in awarding suffrage at 15, but raised the age to 18 in January 2007 despite the opposition of the Government. In May 2007 the Iranian Cabinet proposed a bill to reverse the increase.

Luxembourg
Luxembourg has compulsory voting from the age of 18. A proposal by the government to introduce optional voting for those aged 16 and 17 was rejected by 81% of voters in a June 2015 referendum.

Malta
On 20 November 2013, Malta lowered the voting age from 18 to 16 for local elections starting from 2015. The proposal had wide support from both the government and opposition, social scientists and youth organizations.

On Monday, 5 March 2018, the Maltese Parliament unanimously voted in favour of amending the constitution, lowering the official voting age from 18 to 16 for general elections, European Parliament Elections and referendums, making Malta the second state in the EU to lower its voting age to 16.

New Zealand
The New Zealand Green Party MP Sue Bradford announced on 21 June 2007 that she intended to introduce her Civics Education and Voting Age Bill on the next occasion upon which a place became available for the consideration of Members' Bills. When this happened on 25 July Bradford abandoned the idea, citing an adverse public reaction. The Bill would have sought to reduce the voting age to 16 in New Zealand and make civics education part of the compulsory curriculum in schools.

On 21 November 2022, the Supreme Court of New Zealand ruled in Make It 16 Incorporated v Attorney-General that the voting age of 18 was "inconsistent with the bill of rights to be free from discrimination on the basis of age". Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern subsequently announced that a bill to lower the voting age to 16 would be debated in parliament, requiring a supermajority to pass. This bill was subsequently withdrawn in January 2024, after the Sixth National Government of New Zealand was elected.

United Kingdom
The Representation of the People Act 1969 lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 for elections to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, the first major democratic nation to do so. The 1970 United Kingdom general election is the first in which this Act had effect.

Men in military service who turned 19 during the first world war were entitled to vote in 1918 irrespective of their age as part of the Representation of the People Act 1918 which also allowed some women over the age of 30 to vote. The Representation of the People (Equal Franchise) Act 1928 brought the voting age for women down to 21.

The reduction of the voting age to 16 in the United Kingdom was first given serious consideration in 1999, when the House of Commons considered in Committee an amendment proposed by Simon Hughes to the Representation of the People Bill. This was the first time the reduction of a voting age below 18 had ever been put to a vote in the Commons. The Government opposed the amendment, and it was defeated by 434 votes to 36.

The Votes at 16 coalition, a group of political and charitable organisations supporting a reduction of the voting age to 16, was launched on in 2003. At that time a Private Member's Bill was also proposed in the House of Lords by Lord Lucas.

In 2004, the UK Electoral Commission conducted a major consultation on the subject of the voting age and age of candidacy, and received a significant response. In its conclusions, it recommended that the voting age remain at 18. In 2005, the House of Commons voted 136-128 (on a free vote) against a Private Member's Bill for a reduction in the voting age to 16 proposed by Liberal Democrat MP Stephen Williams. Parliament chose not to include a provision reducing the voting age in the Electoral Administration Act during its passage in 2006.

The report of the Power Inquiry in 2006 called for a reduction of the voting age, and of the candidacy age for the House of Commons, to 16. On the same day the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, indicated in an article in The Guardian that he favoured a reduction provided it was made concurrently with effective citizenship education.

The Ministry of Justice published in 2007 a Green Paper entitled The Governance of Britain, in which it proposed the establishment of a "Youth Citizenship Commission". The Commission would examine the case for lowering the voting age. On launching the paper in the House of Commons, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said: "Although the voting age has been 18 since 1969, it is right, as part of that debate, to examine, and hear from young people themselves, whether lowering that age would increase participation."

During the Youth Parliament debates of in 2009 in the House of Commons, Votes at 16 was debated and young people of that age group voted for it overwhelmingly as a campaign priority. In April 2015, Labour announced that it would support the policy if it won an overall majority in the 2015 general election, which it failed to do.

In July 2024 however, Keir Starmer the current leader of the UK Labour Party, became elected as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. As part of the parties 2024 manifesto (in the run up to the general election) Labour maintained this previous position, Keir Starmer himself confirming that he would lower the voting age from 18 to 16 in all elections (if elected). Prior to the 2024 election, the voting age in both Scotland and Wales was and is set at 16, by the governments of both UK nations (see detail specifics below).

There was some criticism about not reducing the voting age to 16 years for the referendum on the membership in the European Union in 2016.

YouGov poll research from 2018 shows that whilst the public are still opposed, there is growing support for extending the franchise. As of May 2019, all the main parties, with the exception of the Conservatives, back reducing the age to 16. Some have argued the Conservatives are hypocritical not to support this, as they allow 16-year-olds to vote in their leadership elections. It is also argued that all the main parties' approach is self-serving as younger voters are thought more likely to support left leaning parties and remaining in the EU, and less likely to support right leaning parties, and leaving the EU.

Scotland
The Scottish National Party conference voted unanimously on 27 October 2007 for a policy of reducing the voting age to 16 (the age of majority in Scotland), as well as in favour of a campaign for the necessary power to be devolved to the Scottish Parliament.

In September 2011, it was announced that the voting age was likely to be reduced from 18 to 16 for the Scottish independence referendum. This was approved by the Scottish Parliament in June 2013.

In June 2015, the Scottish Parliament voted unanimously to reduce the voting age to 16 for elections for the Scottish Parliament and for Scottish local government elections. The voting age in Scotland remains 18 for UK general elections.

Wales
Major reforms were recommended in 2017 in the 'A Parliament That Works For Wales' report, by the expert panel on Assembly Electoral Reform led by Professor Laura McAllister. It included increasing the size of the Assembly, adapting or changing the electoral system and of course reducing the age of voting to 16.

The Welsh Assembly's Commission, the corporate body, introduced a bill in 2019 to reduce the voting age to 16 and change the name to Senedd. The National Assembly for Wales passed the Senedd and Election (Wales) Act later that year. A vote to remove this enfranchisement was defeated by 41 votes to 11. The first election to include the biggest enfranchisement in Welsh politics since 1969 was the 2021 Senedd election.

The Welsh Government also legislated for the enfranchisement of 16 and 17-year-olds in the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act, which received royal assent in 2021. The changes were in place for local Welsh elections in 2022. The voting age in Wales remains 18 for UK general elections.

British Overseas Territories
The voting age in the British Overseas Territories (those parts of the British Realm that lie outside the archipelago of the British Isles, which, before 1983, were termed British colonies, and, from 1983 to 2002, British Dependent Territories) for the national (ie, "British") Parliamentary elections is the same as in that part of the realm that lies within the British Isles, although - as no electoral district has ever been created for any British Overseas Territory, British nationals from the territories must first establish residency in an existing electoral district in order to exercise their voting rights in national elections. Local elected legislatures were established in Virginia in 1619 and Bermuda (originally settled as part of Virginia) in 1620. Sovereignty remained with the national (British) government, with the British Parliament asserting its right to legislate for the colonies, though in practice certain competencies were delegated by the British government to the local governments (varying depending upon the degree of representation in the local government of each colony). Since the 1960s, most of the remaining colonies have been given elected legislatures similar to Bermuda's (or the Councils that advise the appointed governors, originally made up only of appointees, now include elected members), with the enfranchisement for local elections determined by local legislation (subject, like all local legislation, to the approval of the national government). In Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, the Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena (and presumably Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha), and Turks and Caicos Islands the current voting ages for local elections are all 18. There are no permanent inhabitants, and no local legislatures in British Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean Territory, and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. Under the agreement with Cyprus by which Britain retained the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, the British government agreed not to set up and administer "colonies" and not to allow new settlement of people in the Sovereign Base Areas other than for temporary purposes. There is no local legislature and consequently there are no local elections.

Crown Dependencies
As of 2023, the voting age for local government elections in all British Crown Dependencies (which are not parts of the British Realm, but administered similarly to British Overseas Territories although the power to pass legislation affecting the islands ultimately rests with the King-in-Council, rather than the British Parliament) is set at 16.

Moves to lower the voting age to 16 were first successful in each of the three British Crown dependencies from 2006 to 2008. The Isle of Man was the first to amend its law in 2006, when it reduced the voting age to 16 for its general elections, with the House of Keys approving the move by 19 votes to 4.

Jersey followed suit in 2007, when it approved in principle a reduction of the voting age to 16. The States of Jersey voted narrowly in favour, by 25 votes to 21, and the legislative amendments were adopted. The law was sanctioned by Order in Council, and was brought into force in time for the general elections in late 2008.

In 2007, a proposal for a reduction made by the House Committee of the States of Guernsey, and approved by the States' Policy Committee, was adopted by the assembly by 30 votes to 15. An Order in Council sanctioned the law, and it was registered at the Court of Guernsey. It came into force immediately, and the voting age was accordingly reduced in time for the 2008 Guernsey general election.

In 2022, both Alderney and Sark passed legislation which lowered the voting age to 16 for all elections going forward.

United States

In the United States, the debate about lowering voting age from 21 to 18 began during World War II and intensified during the Vietnam War, when most of those subjected to the draft were too young to vote, and the image of young men being forced to risk their lives in the military without the privileges of voting successfully pressured legislators to lower the voting age nationally and in many states. By 1968, several states had lowered the voting age below 21 years: Alaska and Hawaii's minimum age was 20, while Georgia and Kentucky's was 18. In 1970, the Supreme Court in Oregon v. Mitchell ruled that Congress had the right to regulate the minimum voting age in federal elections; however, it decided it could not regulate it at local and state level.

The 26th Amendment (passed and ratified in 1971) prevents states from setting a voting age higher than 18. Except for the express limitations provided for in Amendments XIV, XV, XIX and XXVI, voter qualifications for House and Senate elections are largely delegated to the States under Article I, Section 2 and Amendment XVII of the United States Constitution, which respectively state that "The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature." and "The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote. The electors in each State shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the State legislatures."

Seventeen states permit 17-year-olds to vote in primary elections and caucuses if they will be 18 by election day: Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Virginia, Vermont, and West Virginia. Iowa, Minnesota, and Nevada allow 17-year-olds to participate in all presidential caucuses, but may not vote in primary elections for other offices. Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Washington, and Wyoming allow 17-year-olds to participate in only Democratic caucuses, but not in the Republican caucus.

All states allow someone not yet 18 to preregister to vote. Fifteen states — California, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Virginia, and Washington — and Washington, D.C., allow 16-year-olds to preregister. In Maine, Nevada, New Jersey, and West Virginia, 17-year-olds can preregister. Alaska allows a teen to preregister within 90 days of their 18th birthday. Georgia, Iowa, and Missouri allow 17.5-year-olds to preregister if they turn 18 before the next election. Texas allows someone 17 year and 10 months old to preregister. The remaining states, excepting North Dakota, do not specify an age for preregistration so long as the teen will be 18 by the next election (usually the next general election). North Dakota does not require voter registration.

On 3 April 2019, Andrew Yang became the first major presidential candidate to advocate for the United States to lower its voting age to 16. At 16, Americans do not have hourly limits imposed on their work, and they pay taxes. According to Yang, their livelihoods are directly impacted by legislation, and they should therefore be allowed to vote for their representatives.

In 2018, a bill in the Council of the District of Columbia was proposed to lower the voting age to 16, which would make the federal district the first jurisdiction to lower the voting age for federal level elections. In 2019, Washington D.C., Council Member Charles Allen sponsored a debate on whether or not the city should lower the voting age to 16 for all elections, including the presidential election in the city. Allen gained a magnitude of public support although the measure to lower the age of voting stalled.

Youth voting at the local level
In 2013, the City of Takoma Park, Maryland, became the first place in the United States to lower its voting age to 16 for municipal elections and referendums. , Greenbelt, Hyattsville, Riverdale Park, and Mount Rainier, all in Prince George's County, Maryland, as well as Somerset and Chevy Chase in Montgomery County, had followed suit.

In 2016, the city of Berkeley, California passed a bill that allowed the voting age to be 16 in school board elections. In May 2020, Oakland City Council President Rebecca Kaplan authored Oakland Measure QQ, which proposed lowering the voting age to 16, for school board elections. The Oakland City Council voted unanimously to put this measure on the ballot. On 6 November 2020, the city of Oakland, California voted to pass Oakland Measure QQ, making Oakland the largest United States city to partially enfranchise sixteen year old voters. This ballot measure passed with 67.88% of the vote. However, as of the 2022 elections, Alameda County had not implemented the measure and 16- and 17-year-olds in Berkeley and Oakland remained unable to cast ballots in school board elections.

In Massachusetts, efforts to lower the voting age for local elections to 16 have been made in Ashfield, Brookline, Cambridge, Concord, Harwich, Lowell, Northampton, Shelburne, Somerville, and Wendell, but ultimately failed to gain necessary approval from the state legislature. In November 2022, the Boston City Council approved lowering the local voting age to 16, but the petition must still be approved by the state.

Debate on increasing the voting age
Presidential candidate in the 2024 Republican Party presidential primaries Vivek Ramaswamy has indicated that he favors raising the voting age to 25 in most circumstances. The policy change, which would have to be done through a constitutional amendment, would only allow for citizens between 18 and 24 to vote if they are enlisted in the military, work as first-responder personnel, or pass a civics test.

Venezuela
A request to lower the voting age to 16 was made during consideration of revisions to the Constitution of Venezuela in 2007. Cilia Flores, president of the National Assembly, announced that the Mixed Committee for Constitutional Reform had found the idea acceptable. Following approval in the legislature the amendment formed part of the package of constitutional proposals, and was defeated in the 2007 referendum.

Maximum voting age
There are occasional calls for a maximum voting age, on the grounds that older people have less of a stake in the future of the country or jurisdiction. In fact, however, the only jurisdiction with a maximum voting age is the Vatican City State whose sovereign, (the Pope) is elected by the College of Cardinals. A Cardinal must be below the age of 80 on the date of the previous Pope's death or resignation, in order to vote to elect a new Pope.

List by country
18 is the most common voting age. In some countries and territories 16 or 17 year-olds can vote in at least some elections. Examples of places with full enfranchisement for those aged 16 or 17 include Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Cuba, Ecuador, Nicaragua, East Timor, Greece, and Indonesia.

The only known maximum voting age is in the Holy See, where the franchise for electing a new Pope in the Papal Conclave is restricted to Cardinals under the age of 80.

The following is an alphabetical list of voting ages in the various countries and territories of the world.

Chronology of lowering the voting age to 18
The following is a chronological list of the dates upon which countries lowered the voting age to 18; unless otherwise indicated, the reduction was from 21. In some cases the age was lowered decrementally, and so the "staging points" are also given. Some information is also included on the relevant legal instruments involved.

 * 1863: Argentina (Previously 21 per the Law 140 of 1857, reduced to 18 with the Law 75/1863)
 * 1924: Turkey (Previously 25 per the 1876 constitution, reduced to 18 with the 1924 constitution. It was again raised to 22 on 5 December 1934 while granting full women's suffrage, and gradually lowered to 21 in 1961, 20 in 1987 and 18 again in 1995)
 * 1946: Czechoslovakia
 * 1952: Poland
 * 1958: South Africa (white voters only; Electoral Law Amendment Act, 1958)
 * 1969: United Kingdom (Representation of the People Act 1969)
 * 1970
 * Canada (June 26) for federal elections, via amendment to Canada Elections Act.
 * West Germany
 * 1971
 * Netherlands (previous reduction from 23 to 21 in 1965)
 * United States (1 July), per the Twenty-sixth Amendment. Previously reduced on 1 January 1971 by the Voting Rights Act Amendments 1970, ss. 302, 305 (Prior reductions: Georgia in August 1943, Kentucky in 1955, Guam in 1954 and American Samoa in 1965. )
 * 1972: Finland (from 20; previous reductions were 24 to 21 in 1944 and 21 to 20 in 1968/1969)
 * 1973
 * Ireland (5 January) via 4th Amendment of the Constitution. Women under 30 gained the vote in local elections in 1935 and in Dáil elections and referendums in 1922 (Constitution of the Irish Free State ). The only popular election (in 1925) to the Free State Seanad had a voting age of 30.
 * Philippines (17 January): after the 1973 constitution was announced to have been approved in a plebiscite. Among other things, the new constitution lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.
 * Australia (New South Wales was the first state to do so, in 1970)
 * 1974
 * France (July 5) (Act No. 74-631)
 * New Zealand: (November) (from 20; previous reduction from 21 to 20 in 1969)
 * Australia
 * Dominica
 * 1975
 * Sweden (Increased from 21 to 24 in 1911, then lowered to 23 in 1921, 21 in 1945, 20 in 1965, 19 in 1968 and finally to 18 in 1975)
 * Italy (lowered from 21; this reduction did not apply to Senate elections)
 * 1976: Trinidad and Tobago
 * 1978
 * Denmark (19 September) (from 20; 53.8% in referendum; previous reductions were 25 to 23 in 1953, 23 to 21 in 1961 and 21 to 20 in 1971)
 * Spain (29 December) (1978 Constitution)
 * 1979: Peru
 * 1981: Belgium
 * 1989: India (28 March) (61st Constitution Amendment Act, 1988 read with Act 21 of 1989)
 * 1991: Switzerland (from 20; referendum held on 3 March)
 * 1992
 * Austria (from 19; previous reductions were 21 to 20 in 1949 and 20 to 19 in 1970)
 * Estonia: (29 July) (from 22, according to the 1938 Constitution; was 18 during the Soviet Occupation since 1940 and 16 for the Congress of Estonia in 1990)
 * 1995: Hong Kong (from 21)
 * 2000: Liechtenstein (from 20; LGBl. 2000 No. 55)
 * 2001: Jordan (July) (from 19; Provisional Election Law No. 34/2001)
 * 2002
 * Pakistan (21 August) (Legal Framework Order, 2002), was 18 under 1973 Constitution, then increased to 21, then lowered back to 18.
 * Morocco (11 December) (from 20)
 * 2012: Uzbekistan (July) (from 25)
 * 2015: Saudi Arabia (July) (from 21)
 * 2016: Japan (from 20)
 * 2019
 * Malaysia (16 July) (from 21)
 * South Korea (27 December) (from 19)
 * 2021:
 * Italy (4 November); lowered from 25 for Senate elections (Constitutional Law No. 1 of 2021)

Chronology of lowering the voting age to 16
This is a further list, similar to the above but of the dates upon which countries or territories lowered the voting age to 16; unless otherwise indicated, the reduction was from 18.

1980s

 * Nicaragua: November 1984 (from 21)
 * Brazil: 1988, first allowed in the 1989 presidential election (Constitution of the Federative Republic of Brazil, 1988)

1990s

 * Estonia: 24 February 1990 (from 22 according to the 1938 Constitution, from 18 during the Soviet occupation); only for the Congress of Estonia, was raised to 18 according to the 1992 Constitution

2000s

 * Isle of Man: 11 July 2006; legislation brought into force in time for general election held on 23 November 2006
 * Austria: 1 July 2007 (BGBl. No. 1/1930, as amended)
 * Guernsey: 19 December 2007 (Reform (Guernsey) (Amendment) Law, 2007)
 * Jersey: 1 April 2008 (Public Elections (Amendment No. 2) (Jersey) Law 2008)
 * Ecuador: 28 September 2008 (New constitution accepted by referendum) for general election on 26 March 2009.

2010s

 * Argentina: 1 November 2012. Voting for teenagers between 16 and 18 years of age became optional.
 * Malta: 20 November 2013. Motion passed in parliament to lower the voting age to 16 at local council elections starting from 2015.
 * Scotland: 18 September 2014. 16- and 17-year-olds were given the vote for the independence referendum. This was subsequently extended permanently for local and Scottish Parliament elections as of the 2016 Parliament election.
 * Estonia: 6 May 2015, in local elections only.

2020s

 * Wales: 6 May 2021, for the elections to the Senedd (formerly the National Assembly for Wales). The Welsh Government has also legislated the enfranchisement of 16 and 17-year-olds in local government elections by May 2022 for the local Welsh elections.
 * Alderney: 22 September 2022.
 * Sark: 2022.

Organizations in favour of lowering the voting age
The following are political parties and other campaigning organisations that have either endorsed a lower voting age or who favour its removal.

Australia

 * Australian Democrats
 * Australian Greens
 * Australian Labor Party
 * Socialist Alliance
 * Fusion Party
 * Grapefruit Foundation (to 15 years of age)

Austria

 * The Greens – The Green Alternative
 * Liberal Forum
 * Social Democratic Party of Austria
 * vote4future.at Austrian National Youth Council

Belgium

 * Ecolo
 * Groen
 * Open Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten

Canada

 * Green Party of Canada
 * Green Party of Quebec
 * New Democratic Party
 * Ontario Liberal Party
 * Parti Québécois

Czechia

 * Czech Pirate Party
 * Green Party
 * Mayors and Independents

Denmark

 * Social Democrats
 * Socialist People's Party
 * Dansk Ungdoms Fællesråd

Estonia

 * Estonian National Youth Council
 * Young Social Democrats

France

 * La France Insoumise

Germany

 * Foundation for the Rights of Future Generations
 * K.R.Ä.T.Z.Ä. (demanding abolition of any age-based voting restrictions)
 * Social Democratic Party of Germany
 * Alliance 90/The Greens
 * The Left

Greece

 * Ecologist Greens

Ireland
In 2013, the Constitutional Convention was asked to consider reducing the voting age to 17 and recommended lowering it to 16. The then government agreed to hold a referendum, but in 2015 postponed it indefinitely to give priority to other referendums.
 * Green Party
 * Labour Party
 * Sinn Féin
 * Socialist Party

Italy

 * Five Star Movement
 * Northern League
 * Democratic Party

Lithuania

 * Social Democratic Party of Lithuania

Luxembourg

 * The Left

Malaysia

 * UNDI18

Netherlands

 * GroenLinks
 * Partij van de Arbeid
 * Volt Netherlands
 * Partij voor de Dieren
 * Democraten 66
 * BIJ1

New Zealand

 * Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand
 * New Zealand Labour Party
 * Te Pāti Māori
 * The Opportunities Party
 * Make It 16 Aotearoa New Zealand

Norway

 * Liberal Party
 * Socialist Left Party

Poland

 * Poland 2050

Portugal

 * Left Bloc
 * Liberal Initiative
 * LIVRE
 * People Animals Nature
 * Social Democratic Party

Romania

 * National Liberal Party
 * National Union for the Progress of Romania

Spain

 * Izquierda Unida

Sweden

 * Feminist Initiative
 * Left Party
 * Green Party

United Kingdom

 * Green Party of England and Wales
 * Green Party Northern Ireland
 * Labour Party
 * Liberal Democrats
 * Liberal Party
 * National Health Action Party
 * Plaid Cymru
 * Scottish Conservatives
 * Scottish Greens
 * Scottish National Party
 * Scottish Socialist Party
 * Social Democratic and Labour Party
 * Ulster Unionist Party
 * Votes at 16

United States

 * Americans for a Society Free from Age Restrictions (supports full elimination of voting age)
 * Vote16USA
 * Future Voters of America
 * Green Party of Texas
 * National Youth Rights Association
 * Rock the Vote
 * Socialist Party USA (to 15 years of age)
 * FairVote
 * Vermont Libertarian Party

title: Voting age


text:
File:Melanism evolution in action.jpg

summary
Melanism Evolution in Action.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: File:Melanism evolution in action.jpg


text:
Retief Goosen

Retief Goosen (born 3 February 1969) is a South African professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour Champions. He has won two U.S. Opens, in 2001 and 2004, headed the European Tour Order of Merit in 2001 and 2002, and was in the top ten of the world rankings for over 250 weeks between 2001 and 2007. He was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame, class of 2019.

Early life
Goosen was born in Pietersburg (now Polokwane), South Africa. He is the son of Theo Goosen, a local real estate agent and amateur golfer who introduced the game of golf to Retief at an early age. Theo took a strict approach to parenting. "Look, I never made life easy for my kids," said Theo. "We never spoiled them. We never pleasurized them." Goosen admits that his father put pressure on him.

In 1987, Goosen was struck by lightning. He was golfing with his friend, Henri Potgieter, at Pietersburg Golf Club. They were playing through a small drizzle when lightning struck Goosen. Potgieter was knocked from his feet and when he stood back up saw Retief lying on the ground on his back. Potgieter retold the story to Golf World, "I wanted to know his reaction. What I did see was his golf clubs and his golf bag. Then I saw him lying on his back. His tongue was down his throat and his eyes were backward, and he was breathing weird. He had no clothes on; they'd been burned from his body. I remember picking up his spectacles. I didn't know what to do. It looked like he was dead. I was screaming for help. Fortunately, there were guys teeing off on the 12th hole. They came running toward us. From then on, I can't remember much. They picked him up and put him in a car." Goosen's shoes had disintegrated from his feet, his underwear and watch band had melted to his body. He retains a scar on his wrist from the incident. He was unable to put his shoes on for weeks afterwards. He recovered enough to grab another set of clubs and take up the game a few weeks later. Goosen doesn't remember the events that happened, but his father took his son's survival as a sign from God of good things to come.

Amateur career
In 1990, Goosen won the South African Amateur Championship, the leading amateur competition in his country.

Southern Africa Tour
In 1990, Goosen turned professional.

European Tour
Gossen was medalist at the European Tour's Qualifying School in 1992 and enjoyed success on the Tour between 1992 and 2000, but it was not until 2001 that he made his name in America with a U.S. Open win on a very tough Southern Hills Country Club golf course. He nearly lost his chance at victory after three putting from 12 feet, missing a two foot putt on the final green, but managed to recover to make a playoff with the 1996 PGA Championship winner Mark Brooks. Goosen dominated the next day's 18-hole playoff, eventually winning by two strokes. Later that summer, he completed his second wire-to-wire victory of the year at The Scottish Open at Loch Lomond. He finished 2001 with three wins, 11 top-tens and the European Tour Order of Merit and followed it up with another in 2002. He also became the first non-European to win the Order of Merit. After his third win of the 2001 season, he rose to a career-high 11th in the world rankings. In 2002, he won on both the PGA Tour and European Tour for the second straight year, a feat that would be repeated for three more years. He won a second U.S. Open in 2004, where he had 11 one-putts in the final round at a tough test at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. He then rose to his career high world ranking position of 3rd. He won on the PGA Tour each year from 2001 to 2005 with six wins, and he added a seventh win in March 2009 at the Transitions Championship.

After winning medalist at the European Tour's Q-School in 1992, Goosen played 3 seasons before winning his first event in 1996 at the Slaley Hall Northumberland Challenge. He won the Alfred Dunhill Cup in 1997 and 1998 with Ernie Els and David Frost. Goosen played in the 2000 Presidents Cup where the U.S. team won, but Goosen scored 2 points in total in his 1st appearance in the event. Goosen won four times on the European Tour between 1996 and 2000, before his breakthrough year in the United States with his 2001 U.S. Open win. Two weeks after the U.S. Open win of 2001, Goosen won on the European Tour at The Scottish Open at Loch Lomond. This win secured Goosen the Player of the Month for June 2001 on the European Tour. He added another win late in the year and won the European Tour Order of Merit and the Player of the Year on the European Tour.

PGA Tour
Goosen was in contention in the U.S. Open at Southern Hills Country Club in 2001 all week, and battled Mark Brooks and Stewart Cink during the final round. After Brooks had posted 4 under par, and Goosen was at 5 under coming up 18, Cink had a chance to win until he three-putted the 71st hole, leaving the battle for the trophy a two-man race between Brooks and Goosen. After Goosen hit his approach to 12 feet on 18, he had 2 putts to win and victory seemed imminent. Goosen put his first putt past the hole and was left with 22 inches for victory, but pushed the second putt across the right edge of the cup and was forced to make a putt longer than the one previous to force a playoff with Brooks.

Goosen won the Monday 18-hole playoff by 2 strokes with an even-par 70 and Brooks shooting a 2-over-par 72. It was Goosen's first victory on U.S. soil. He finished 47th on the PGA Tour money list with over $1,047,000 in a restricted season shared between the PGA and European Tours.

Goosen won the European Tour Order of Merit for a second straight year for a season that included a win at the Johnnie Walker Classic by a margin of 8 strokes. He had eight other top-10s on the season, two runner-up finishes, including a 2nd place to Tiger Woods at The Masters. Goosen won the money title in the end by a slim margin over Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke. Goosen also had his second win in the U.S. at the BellSouth Classic in April on the PGA Tour.

In 2003, Goosen won his second Trophee Lancome title in its final playing. It was his lone win on the European Tour in 2003, though he had five other top-10s on the season. 2003 was the first season where he played most of his events in the United States. He picked up his 3rd tour win at the Chrysler Championship in October. His 2003 season included 17 of 19 cuts made, 9 top-10s, a win and over $3,100,000 in earnings. Goosen played in the Presidents Cup for the International team where he scored 3 points for the week that ended with a tie because Tiger Woods and Ernie Els were involved in a playoff that was not over at sundown, so captains Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus decided that the 2003 matches would be a draw.

Goosen's second major title came at the 2004 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. The USGA had prepared extremely tough conditions which were later argued by players as "unfair." The final-round scoring average of 78.7 was the second-highest since World War II, with only Goosen and Phil Mickelson finishing under par. He eventually won by two strokes over Mickelson as both men shot 1-over-par rounds of 71. Goosen had 11 one-putt greens on Sunday and 31 one-putts for the championship. He only needed 24 putts on the day in what is remembered as one of the most clutch putting performances in U.S. Open history. 2004 was the start of the "Big Five Era" which is used in describing the era in golf where Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, and Phil Mickelson dominated the game of golf. The five switched up and down the top five positions in the Official World Golf Ranking; most notably Singh's derailing of Woods as the number one golfer in the world. The five stayed, for the most part in the top five spots from 2004 till the start of 2007. Nine majors were won between them many fighting against each other head to head.

Goosen won the Tour Championship in November 2004, coming from four strokes behind on the final round with a 6-under-par 64 to win by four strokes over Tiger Woods. It was his second Tour win on the season and it secured him a career high 6th-place finish on the 2004 money list.

In 2005 Goosen was in pursuit of his third U.S. Open and his second in a row, leading by three strokes after three rounds of golf at the Pinehurst No. 2 course. However, he disappeared in the final round with a score of 81 and he ended up finishing in 11th place. In an interview after his round Goosen said "I messed up badly. I obviously threw this one away."

Even though Goosen finished T-11 in the U.S. Open in 2005, it was his worst finish in a major in 2005, he won The International by one point over Brandt Jobe for his 6th career win. His 2005 season included 8 top 10s, and over $3.4 million in earnings. Goosen played in his 3rd Presidents Cup in 2005, at an event where he defeated Tiger Woods in Sunday's singles matches and finished with 4 points. The final score was 18½–15½ for the United States.

Goosen has been a consistent player: he has won internationally every year since 1995, and also won a PGA Tour event every year from 2001 to 2005. Additionally, he has spent a long period of time in the top 5 of the Official World Golf Ranking, and in 2006 reached a career-best third place after a runner-up finish at The Players Championship to Stephen Ames and 5 other top 10s on the season. He also won on the European Tour at the South African Airways Open and at the Volkswagen Masters-China on the Asian Tour. He also won his match during the challenge season at the People vs. The Pros event. But from early 2007 to late 2008 he had had a dip in performance.

2007 was an average season for Goosen's standards; a victory at the Qatar Masters in January – when he finished birdie-eagle for the win, looked to be a sign of things to come along with being the European Tour player of the month in January. Goosen posed a threat on the final day at The Masters. He held the lead till a bogey on the par-three twelve, Goosen failed to rebound parring each of his six remaining holes. He finished tied for second, two behind Zach Johnson. However, after the Masters Goosen's best finish throughout the rest of the year was a tie for 15th at the BMW Asian Open, and he ended 2007 having slumped down to 26th in the world rankings.

Goosen's statistics on the PGA Tour at this time were surprisingly low. He was outside the top 100 in ball striking, greens in regulation, driving accuracy, distance, and putting. But this was due mainly, Goosen said, to the swing changes he had made, his hiring a swing coach for the first time in his career, and how he had lost all confidence in his game.

He was again a part of the International team at the 2007 Presidents Cup at the Royal Montreal Golf Club, just outside Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was his fourth appearance in the event. He finished the week with 2 points, including a singles win of 2&1 over Jim Furyk on Sunday.

At the start of 2008, Goosen withdrew from the Qatar Masters as defending champion due to problems with his vision after undergoing corrective laser surgery ten days before the tournament began. He was forced to return to his home in London, England, for further treatment. In March, he showed a form that had left him for almost a year and resulted in a tie for second at the WGC-CA Championship. He putted exceptionally well thanks to his old Yes! putter he won both his U.S. Open titles with and named "Tracy" after his wife. Before the tournament Goosen was ranked 40th in the world, which was the lowest he had been ranked since 10 June 2001 (a week before the U.S. Open). His best finish in 2009 other than the runner-up at the WGC-CA Championship, was at the other stroke play WGC event, the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, where he finished T4, two strokes behind winner Vijay Singh. It was his second of two top five finishes on the season. Although showing some signs of his old self, Goosen had a very inconsistent year finishing 72nd on the PGA Tour money list. In June 2008, he made controversial comments about fellow golfer Tiger Woods, alleging that Woods was faking the severity of his injuries at the 2008 U.S. Open. Goosen apologized for the comments saying he was not being serious when he made the claim.

His game was on the rise in late 2008. Late in the 2008 season Goosen replaced Vijay Singh because of injury in the Asian Tour's Iskandar Johor Open. Goosen won the tournament for his only win of 2008. The win also extended his streak of winning a professional golf event every year since 1995.

Goosen continued his good form from late 2008 into 2009. With two international wins in three months, it was a sign of good form to come throughout the season.

He started his 2009 season with two wins on two major tours. Goosen won his second event in four worldwide starts on the Sunshine Tour, at the Africa Open in January, where he came from behind with a final round 65 on Sunday to win by one stroke over four players and take the trophy. Goosen said he'd been struggling with his putting for the last few seasons, he put a belly putter in his bag for a few weeks to get his stroke back. He played with it for 3 weeks in January and February, starting at the Buick Invitational. He played well with it at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, where he was the 36-hole leader. He went on to finish 3rd for the rained-out 54-hole event. He then won his seventh PGA Tour title at the Transitions Championship in March 2009. He made only five bogeys all week on the tough Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club in Palm Harbor, Florida. He shot all four rounds under par, and finished at −8, to win by one stroke over Charles Howell III and Brett Quigley. His putting was exceptional during that week, making 55 of 55 putts from 5 feet and less, including a $4 1/2$-foot putt for par on 18 for the win that fell in the left edge of the cup. Goosen credited Gary Player with inspiring him to rededicate himself to a new diet and fitness program. This win vaulted Goosen to number 22 in the Official World Golf Ranking, his highest position since November 2007.

With his rededication to his game with his work with his swing coach, his newfound fitness regime and his renewed, refreshed sense of confidence, Goosen dramatically improved his statistics in 2009 from those of the 2007–2008 seasons before. He moved from driving distance from outside the top 100 to 82nd, to inside the top 40 in putting, 20th in scoring average and 49th in the all-around statistic.

After a tie for 16th place at the U.S. Open at Bethpage Black, Goosen was in contention the very next week in Munich, Germany at the BMW International Open. He led after the first three rounds at 17 under par, two ahead of Bernhard Langer and three ahead of Nick Dougherty. On Sunday, Goosen did not putt as well as he did the first three rounds, only managing a 1-under 71. He finished the week in 3rd, four strokes behind eventual winner Dougherty.

After a week off, Goosen was in contention the week before The Open Championship at the Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond Golf Club in Glasgow. After a first round of 3-under par 68, he shot a second round 63, which was started by an un-Goosen like opening tee shot. He pulled out a 3-wood off the first tee, and barely got the ball airborne as Goosen topped it and put it in the right rough, as a couple of grouse scuttled for cover. But Goosen shot a second round 63 to pull two clear of Adam Scott after two rounds. He shot a disappointing final round of 73 to finish in a tie for 6th.

Goosen added a 3rd top-10 finish in as many starts worldwide at the 2009 Open Championship at Turnberry. He contended for most of the week and had a share of the lead momentarily during the 3rd round. He finished the event in a tie for 5th, 2 strokes out of the playoff between Stewart Cink and Tom Watson. Goosen almost picked up his second PGA Tour win of the season at the RBC Canadian Open the following week. Goosen faced Nathan Green in a playoff after the two players shot −18 after four rounds of play. Goosen had a six-foot birdie putt to win the tournament on the first playoff hole but missed it. Green had a twelve-foot birdie putt to win the tournament on the second hole and missed it but it did not matter. Goosen had to sink a nine-foot par putt to extend the playoff but he missed it, giving Green his first PGA Tour victory.

Goosen had another close call at victory during the 2009 FedEx Cup Playoffs at the Deutsche Bank Championship, where he was the 54-hole co-leader with Sean O'Hair and Steve Stricker, but he shot a final round of Even Par to finish T8.

Goosen added 4 consecutive top 10 finishes in October and November; 6th at the Portugal Masters, 3rd at the Iskandar Johor Open, where he shot a third round 62, 9th at the Volvo World Match Play Championship and 10th at the WGC-HSBC Champions.

Goosen started his 2010 campaign in January with 3 consecutive top-10 finishes. He finished 6th at the SBS Championship, 4th at the Sony Open in Hawaii and 9th at the Qatar Masters. Goosen added a quarterfinal loss to Camilo Villegas in February at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, his best appearance in the event since 2006. Goosen had a good title defense at the Transitions Championship in March, where he finished 5th. A week later at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Goosen finished in a tie for 4th, his fifth top-10 in seven 2010 PGA Tour events, and his 11th top-10 finish in his last 14 events worldwide. The 4th-place finish moved Goosen to 15th in the Official World Golf Ranking.

On 27 April 2010, Goosen broke his toe while playing with his children. /The injury caused Goosen to miss the Quail Hollow Championship and The Players Championship. On 18 May, in an incident separate to his toe injury, Goosen injured his hand. This injury caused Goosen to miss the BMW PGA Championship, one of the premier events on the European Tour. Goosen returned to the PGA Tour in June at the St. Jude Classic, the week before the U.S. Open. He finished T15 at the St. Jude Classic. After the U.S. Open, Goosen flew to Canada to play in the Telus World Skins Game, where he won 5 skins. Two days after that, he played in the Travelers Championship, where he finished T5, his 6th top-10 finish of the season.

At the 2010 Open Championship at St Andrews, Goosen finished 6th, breaking par in all four rounds. It was Goosen's 7th top-10 finish of the season. Goosen had his first top-3 finish of the season in August at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, his 8th top-10 of the season.

After a 7th-place finish at the BMW Championship, Goosen played in the final group on Sunday at The Tour Championship with eventual winner Jim Furyk. Goosen finished 3rd on his own. Goosen finished 10th in the final standings of the 2010 FedEx Cup Playoffs. He finished his 2010 PGA Tour season with 10 top-10s, and over $3.2 million in earnings. In December, Goosen finished runner-up to Ernie Els at the South African Open in Durban. Goosen finished at 24 under par, one stroke behind Els.

Despite a strong start to the season, with two top-3 finishes by January, Goosen ended the year with his worst season since 1995. Goosen withdrew from both The Open Championship and the PGA Championship after poor first rounds, citing injuries. Goosen had to deal with back injuries for the entire second half of the 2011 season. At the end of the year, he had dropped out of the top 50 in the world rankings for the first time in over a decade.

Goosen started his 2012 campaign on the European Tour with three consecutive starts in January in South Africa. He finished 3rd in the Africa Open, and 16th in the Joburg Open before finishing tied second with Ernie Els in the Volvo Golf Champions, losing to winner Branden Grace in a playoff. Through the first three weeks of season, Goosen was second in the Race to Dubai.

For the first time since 1999, Goosen did not play in the Masters, as he was outside the Top 50 in the OWGR.

Goosen started his 2013 campaign internationally, finishing 20th at the Volvo Golf Champions and missing the cut at the Qatar Masters. Goosen made 9 starts on the PGA tour making 6 cuts, including 9th at AT&T National. He re-injured his back at The Players Championship, causing him to withdraw from the tournament. After months of time off, Goosen returned to action on the European Tour in September for two tournaments, finishing 63rd and 66th.

Goosen showed hopeful signs during the 2013–14 season. Focused only on the PGA Tour, Goosen made 19 of the 26 cuts, including 14 straight cuts to finish the season, while earning over $825k.

Goosen started off the 2014–15 PGA Tour season with a 3rd-place finish at the Frys.com Open. Goosen finished 2014 making 2 out of 3 cuts, finishing 33rd at the CIMB Classic and 65th at the OHL Classic. He held the lead at the 2015 Northern Trust Open for the first three rounds. A final round 75 dropped him to a tie for 8th finish. He was able to qualify for the U.S. Open via a local qualifying tournament, but missed the cut. He continued to compete in several tournaments. After firing an opening round of 66 (−6) at the 2015 Open Championship to place him into second place, he stayed in the top 10 for the first three rounds, but a final round 74 saw him fall into a 20th place. Two weeks later at the Quicken Loans National tournament, he took the 18-hole lead after an opening round −8, 63. But he stalled the final three rounds and finished 46th.

Champions Tour
In 2019, Goosen turned 50, started playing on the PGA Tour Champions and was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame. On 14 July 2019, Goosen won his first title on the PGA Tour Champions. It was a major tournament, the Bridgestone Senior Players Championship. In the final round, Goosen birdied the final two holes at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio, to win by two strokes over Jay Haas and Tim Petrovic.

On 15 January 2020, Goosen received the PGA Tour Champions Rookie of the Year for 2019. In March 2022, Goosen won the Hoag Classic on PGA Tour Champions in Newport Beach, California.

Personal life
Goosen has the nickname "The Iceman" on the PGA Tour, because of his calm demeanour. He is also called "The Goose." Goosen's mother attributes her son's calm demeanour to the effects left on Goosen after he was struck by lightning.

Retief has played in the Nelson Mandela Invitational hosted by Gary Player in South Africa, honoring former South African President Nelson Mandela. He has won the event twice, in betterball in 2000 with Allan Henning, and in 2006 with Bobby Lincoln. He also won the fourball event in 2008 with Costantino Rocca, and Alan Pearson.

Goosen owns his own vineyard in Garden Route, South Africa. The vineyard is situated 2500 feet above sea level and was deemed a great place to plant in 1993. He started growing plants on the vineyard in 2005, and labelled his wine The Goose. The Goose Expression Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz wine won the bronze medal in 2008 from the Decanter World Wide Wine. In 2009, Goosen won awards for both his Goose wines. This follows on from last year's bronze medal for The Expression Cabernet Sauvignon / Shiraz 2005. 2009 brought a Silver Medal each by The Decanter World Wine Award 2009 for The Expression Cabernet Sauvignon / Shiraz 2007 and The Goose Sauvignon Blanc 2008.

Goosen-designed golf courses

 * Lagoon Bay – George, South Africa
 * Lizard Point – Johannesburg, South Africa
 * Legends – Mokopane, South Africa

Course(s) under construction:
 * Dayi Smokey Mountain – China

Charitable work

 * MAD (Make a Difference Charity) – Goosen is an honorary patron to MAD, which is a Cape Town based organization focused on providing educational opportunities for talented, less fortunate South African children. The foundation was formed in 2003.
 * SADGA (South African Disabled Golf Association) – Goosen is a SADGA patron. SADGA is an organization set up in 2004 to enable disabled golfers to enjoy and compete in the golf arena. It provides clinics for disabled children, introducing them to the game and giving them job opportunities.

Amateur wins

 * 1985/86 Transvaal Amateur Team
 * 1990 South African Amateur, Kempton Park Classic

PGA Tour wins (7)
PGA Tour playoff record (1–1)

European Tour wins (14)
1Co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour 2Co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour of Australasia 3Co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour

European Tour playoff record (3–3)

Asian Tour wins (5)
1Co-sanctioned by the European Tour 2Co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour of Australasia

Sunshine Tour wins (6)
1Co-sanctioned by the European Tour

Other wins (9)
Other playoff record (2–3)

PGA Tour Champions wins (3)
PGA Tour Champions playoff record (0–2)

Wins (2)
1Defeated Brooks in an 18-hole playoff: Goosen 70 (E), Brooks 72 (+2).

Results timeline
{{legend|lime|Win}} {{legend|yellow|Top 10}} {{legend|#eeeeee|Did not play}} CUT = missed the half-way cut WD = withdrew "T" = tied

Summary

 * Most consecutive cuts made – 8 (2004 Masters – 2006 Masters)
 * Longest streak of top-10s – 3 (twice)

Results in The Players Championship
{{legend|yellow|Top 10}} {{legend|#eeeeee|Did not play}} CUT = missed the halfway cut WD = withdrew "T" indicates a tie for a place

Results in World Golf Championships
1Cancelled due to 9/11 {{legend|yellow|Top 10}} {{legend|#eeeeee|Did not play}} QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play "T" = tied WD = withdrew NT = No Tournament Note that the HSBC Champions did not become a WGC event until 2009.

Results timeline
{{legend|lime|Win}} {{legend|yellow|Top 10}}

"T" indicates a tie for a place NT = no tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic

PGA and European Tour career summary
* As of the 2021 seasons.

These figures are from the respective tour's official sites. Note that there is double counting of money earned (and wins) in the majors and World Golf Championships since they became official events on both tours.

Green background for Tour's leading money winner. Yellow background for top-10 on Tour's money list.

Team appearances
Professional
 * World Cup (representing South Africa): 1993, 1995, 2000, 2001 (winners), 2007
 * Alfred Dunhill Cup (representing South Africa): 1995, 1996, 1997 (winners), 1998 (winners), 1999, 2000
 * Alfred Dunhill Challenge (representing Southern Africa): 1995 (winners)
 * Presidents Cup (International team): 2000, 2003 (tie), 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011
 * Tavistock Cup (representing Lake Nona): 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 (winners), 2008, 2009 (winners), 2010 (winners)

title: Retief Goosen


text:
Canadian electoral system

The Canadian electoral system is based on a parliamentary system of government modelled on that of the United Kingdom.

Federal parliament
The Parliament of Canada consists of:
 * The sovereign (represented by the governor general)
 * An upper house (the Senate), the members of which are appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister
 * A lower house (the House of Commons), the members of which are chosen by the citizens of Canada through federal general elections.

Elections Canada is the non-partisan agency responsible for the conduct of elections in Canada, including federal elections, by-elections and referendums. It is headed by the chief electoral officer.

Representation in the House of Commons
Representation in the House of Commons is based on electoral districts, also known as constituencies or ridings. Each riding elects one member to the House of Commons, and the number of ridings is established through a formula set out in the Constitution of Canada.

Riding boundaries are established by independent commissions, and take into account:
 * population
 * social links
 * economic links

New commissions are set up every ten years to make any necessary revisions to existing boundaries, following criteria defined in the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act. The process of redefining electoral boundaries is called redistribution, and the results are recorded in a "representation order". The Representation Order of 2003 set the number of ridings at 308. The 2012 redistribution set the number of ridings to 338.

Single-member plurality
Canada's electoral system, sometimes referred to as a "first-past-the-post" system, is formally referred to as a single-member plurality system. The candidate with the most votes in a riding wins a seat in the House of Commons and represents that riding as its member of Parliament (MP). The governor general asks the leader of the party whose candidates have won the most seats to form a government; that leader becomes prime minister. The party whose candidates win the second largest number of seats becomes the Official Opposition. That party gets more finances and prestige than the other opposition parties.

An absolute majority of the votes cast in the last election is not needed to have power, and is rarely achieved. As well, the party in power does not need to have a majority of seats in the House of Commons – and under the current multi-party system, quite often does not have that. However to pass bills, the governing party must have support of a majority of MPs. Without majority support, the government falls and a new party is named government or an election has to be held. Four parties have achieved power at the federal level in Canada's history – the original Conservatives, the Liberals, the Progressive Conservatives and the modern Conservatives.

Turnout
Voter turnout fell dramatically between 1962 (79%) and 2011 (61.4%). The Gallagher Index of disproportionality for Canadian federal elections in that period has ranged from 6.26 to 20.91, in line with some of its comparables — Australia, New Zealand (prior to adoption of MMP in 1992) and United States (presidential electoral college), but significantly higher than many others, for example Belgium, Germany, Ireland, United States (House) and the Scandinavian countries.

Voter turnout rose higher in 2015 to 68.5%, and to 66% in 2019.

Timing of election
Historically, the prime minister could ask the governor general to call an election at virtually any time, although one had to be called no later than five years after the return of the writs under section 4 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In 2007, the Conservative Parliament passed an act requiring fixed election dates in Canada every four years. This law does not curtail the power of the governor general to dissolve Parliament at any time, as was done for the 2008 election at the request of Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

If a government loses a confidence motion, traditionally the prime minister will ask the governor general to call an election. The governor general when approached by the prime minister who has lost a vote of confidence will traditionally call an election. However, it is not assured as some assume. The governor general also has the right to call the leader of the party they think would be most likely to be able to form a government and ask them if they can form the government. This happened in 1926 and is referred to as the King-Byng Affair.

Running for office
Any number of candidates may run for election in an electoral district, but each candidate may only run in one district, either independently or under the banner of a political party. Each party may endorse only one candidate per riding. Candidates who run for election without party affiliation may be designated as independent or as having no affiliation.

A political party is a group of people who together:
 * Establish a constitution and by-laws
 * Elect a leader and other officers
 * Endorse candidates for election to the House of Commons.

To obtain the right to put the party name on the ballot, under the names of the candidates it endorses, a political party must register with the chief electoral officer. , there were 22 registered political parties operating at the federal level in Canada.

Governing party
After an election, the party with the most elected representatives usually becomes the governing party. The leader of this party is then summoned by the governor-general and sworn in as Prime Minister of Canada shortly after the election concludes. The party with the second largest number of MPs is called the Official Opposition. Each of the elected candidates has a seat in the House of Commons, where they debate and vote on draft legislation (called bills) and thus attempt to have an influence on government policy. A party having a majority of the seats can pass what it wants despite any opposition from the group(s) holding the minority of seats, but the imperative to be re-elected and any moral pressure the opposition can impose may temper its legislative agenda

Right to vote
All citizens (18 years and older) have the right to a voice in choosing their parliamentary representatives. Canada's electoral law requires the chief electoral officer to inform the public about the system and about individual rights under that system and to remove obstacles that may make voting difficult for some.

Information to voter
During an election, Elections Canada informs Canadians about their right to vote, how to get on the National Register of Electors and the voter's list, and where and how they can vote. Its public information activities include
 * News releases.
 * Advertisements in newspapers and on television and radio, brochures, posters.
 * A toll-free telephone inquiries center.
 * A website.
 * Meetings with community and ethnocultural groups.

Between elections, the agency publishes additional background information for the public, keeps its telephone enquiries centre and website open to answer questions, and works with educators to encourage young people to vote when they become eligible (18 years and older).

Voting accommodations
Helping to remove obstacles to voting is an important part of Elections Canada's work. Voters who are not able to vote on polling day can vote at the advance polls. A mail-in special ballot is available for Canadians who are away from their ridings, travelling or temporarily resident overseas. Even Canadians in their own ridings during the election period may use the special ballot if they do not wish to go to a polling station. In special cases, electors with a disability may vote at home, in the presence of an election officer. Mobile polls serve voters living in certain institutions, such as nursing homes for people who are elderly or who have a disability.

Wherever possible, election officers at polling stations speak both official languages (English and French). In addition, a deputy returning officer can appoint and swear in an interpreter to help communicate with a voter.

All votes are made on the same standard heavy paper ballot, which is inserted in a standard cardboard box, furnished by Elections Canada. The ballot and the box are devised to ensure that no one except the elector knows the individual choice that was made.

Voting reform
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in favour of adopting a ranked voting system also referred to as instant-runoff voting or preferential voting.

Trudeau promised electoral reform in the 2015 campaign but was unable to get a consensus with the other political parties. He did not implement electoral reform, saying all parties were not in agreement. Each party had different suggestions, one or more even wanting to stick to first past the post.

title: Canadian electoral system


text:
Melanism: Evolution in Action

Melanism: Evolution in Action (ISBN 0-19-854982-2) is a book by Dr. Mike Majerus, published in 1998. It is an update of Bernard Kettlewell's book The Evolution of Melanism.

The book contains a very useful summary of Majerus' work on melanism in ladybirds and a review of the peppered moth story, including observations on moth behavior which sparked controversy. It may be criticised for being unevenly edited so as not to suit any one audience in its entirety. For example, it explains the basic principles of evolution such as the Hardy–Weinberg law in earlier sections, and in later sections includes graduate level concepts.

Jerry Coyne reviewed the book for Nature, calling attention to the importance of the new moth behavior observations, and how they shook Bernard Kettlewell's original hypothesis.

This review has been criticised by Majerus and others of not being representative of the work. Reviews such as by Laurence Cook discussed Majerus' treatment but did not anticipate the controversy largely provoked by Coyne's review.

title: Melanism: Evolution in Action


text:
Swing vote

A swing vote is a vote that is seen as potentially going to any of a number of candidates in an election, or, in a two-party system, may go to either of the two dominant political parties. Such votes are usually sought after in election campaigns, since they can play a big role in determining the outcome.

A swing voter or floating voter is a voter who may not be affiliated with a particular political party (Independent) or who will vote across party lines. In USA politics, many centrists, liberal Republicans, and conservative Democrats are considered "swing voters" since their voting patterns cannot be predicted with certainty.

While the swing voter is ostensibly the target of most political activity during elections, another factor is the success of each party in rallying its core support. In a two-party system, those who become disillusioned with their once-favored party are more likely to vote third-party or abstain than cross over.

Smaller groups that use voting to decide matters, such as chambers of parliament and supreme courts, can also have swing voters. The smaller the group, the more power swing voters can have. For example, on a court of seven judges, of which three are committed to each side of a case, the seventh judge may be seen as single-handedly deciding the case.

Impact on campaigning
Swing Vote can have a very broad meaning and has been used in many different contexts by different media and news outlets. The truest definition would be someone who has not yet made up their mind on how they will be voting. These voters can be easily persuaded and are cross pressured. This is particularly significant when considering where political parties choose to focus their campaigning efforts. The voters who can be convinced are the voters that receive the most attention because campaigns will not bother to engage the voters they know will show up to the polls and support them.

Focusing only on the undecided voters instead of all voters at large is a core part of almost all political campaigns. With this framework in mind, the idea of a swing vote can closely tie with the concept of swing states. Swing/Battleground states are states that neither party can guarantee will go in their favor. These are the states that politicians will most likely focus their time to maximize their reach, in the same way that there is a focus on swing voters. It is crucial to note that identifying battleground states is much easier than identifying individual swing votes.

Calculating a swing voter
Deciding who is a swing voter can be calculated by measuring how a voter feels about each of the candidates. The American National Election Studies (ANES) created a scale by asking how favorably they see each candidate from negative 100 to 100, with zero as neutral. Then, the two scores for the candidates are subtracted and the smaller the difference is, the more likely that the person is a swing voter. The answers are indicative of the voters voting behavior and their ideological identification. The ANES also shows about the relationship between scale position and “convertibility”—the likelihood that a campaign can change a person’s vote intention. This method of measurement is also a good indication of how polarized the public already is. For example, in 2004, only 13% of the voters were considered swing voters which is lower compared to previous elections.

Profile
In an election, there are "certain" or "lock" votes, voters who are solidly behind or partisan to a particular candidate and will not consider changing their minds whatever the opposition says. Swing voters are undecided about how they will vote. They are sometimes referred to as undecideds, undecided voters, or floating voter.

They may be dissatisfied party members who are open to the idea of voting for other parties, or they could be officially registered as "independents" or simply people who have never had a strong affiliation with any political party and will vote depending on certain things that influence them: healthcare, benefits, election campaign, etc.

Some might be people who have never exercised their right to vote before, such as those just reaching voting age. Some, but not all, swing voters are considered to be "low-information voters." Because the votes of swing voters are considered to be "up for grabs," candidates direct a fair proportion of campaign effort towards them, but they must also be concerned with voter turnout among their political base. There is a perception that swing voters are primarily motivated by self-interest rather than values or ideology and so are particularly susceptible to pork barreling.

If a constituency contains a large proportion of swing voters it is often called a marginal seat and extensive campaign resources are poured into it.

Demographics within the United States
An April 2016 poll by the Progressive Policy Institute examined voters in the U.S. states considered "battlegrounds" in the upcoming presidential election (Florida, Ohio, Colorado and Nevada). Swing voters were slightly more likely to be women (52 percent women, 48 percent men) and slightly less likely to have a college degree (44 percent) than voters overall in these states (48 percent). By contrast, race was a significant determinant, especially for African-Americans. While 7 percent of poll respondents identified as African-American, only 2 percent of swing voters were African-American. Latinos (12 percent of poll respondents) were represented more proportionately (13 percent of swing voters).

"Overall, white voters are likely to swing the outcome of a national election by an average of 10 percentage points—voting more Democratic in elections Democrats win and more Republican in elections Republicans win," according to a 2008 report by the Democratic Leadership Council. Most of this (6.7 of the 10 percentage points) is due to those white people who have only a high school education.

In mid-term and presidential elections from 1992 to 2014, people who self-identified as "gay, lesbian, or bisexual" voted consistently "around 75 percent Democratic within a range of 67 to 81 percent." In the 2016 presidential election, people who identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender cast 78 percent of their votes for the Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.

Among people who identify as gay and bisexual, men's support for Democratic candidates in the 1990s Congressional elections (held every two years from 1990 to 1998) was more consistent than women's. Across these five elections, men's support ranged from 67 percent to 75 percent, while women's support ranged from 53 percent to 82 percent. This suggests that lesbian and bisexual women may be more likely swing voters, at least over time, if not necessarily for any given election. There are also differences by state: "California GLB voters are more likely to identify as 'Independent' than are GLB voters nationally, and therefore have a greater potential to play the role of a swing vote in a close election."

In the 2020 election, 30% of voters were considered swing voters. The swing votes in this election demographically were younger, ideologically moderate, disengaged in politics. Political apathy also plays a part in identifying swing voters. 24 percent of swing voters did not vote in the 2016 election and 22 percent did not vote in the 2018 election. 18-29 year olds were the age group that had the highest percentage of swing voters - there was about the same number of swing voters as there were "decided voters". In the oldest age group of 65 and older, only 22 percent are considered swing voters. Another important datapoint from the 2020 election was that 39% of Swing Voters say they are paying "a lot" of attention to politics, compared to the 68% of decided voters that pay attention.

Impact
Swing voters occasionally play a huge part in elections. First-time voters and swing voters are usually credited for helping Jesse Ventura win the Minnesota gubernatorial election in 1998. Swing voters who support third-party candidates take potential votes away from the major candidates. Ventura was a third-party candidate; his opponents were seen as two weak major-party candidates, and this situation created many more swing voters than usual. This resulted in Jesse Ventura, the third-party candidate, winning the election.

In the Supreme Court of the United States the swing justice, if one exists, essentially decides the overall outcome of the ruling during a split, which can mean highly impacting landmark decisions. For example, the effective decision of the President of the United States in the 2000 election was ultimately made by Justice Anthony Kennedy in the Bush v. Gore case.

Examples
Common examples of swing voters include "Reagan Democrats" (Democrats who voted for Republican Ronald Reagan in the 1980s) and "Clinton Conservatives" (Republicans who voted for Democrat Bill Clinton in the 1990s). In her 2012 book The Swing Vote, Linda Killian divides the American swing vote into 4 factions: NPR Republicans, America First Democrats, the Facebook Generation, and Starbucks Moms and Dads. On the Supreme Court of the United States, Associate Justices Potter Stewart, Byron White, Lewis F. Powell Jr., Sandra Day O'Connor, Anthony Kennedy, and Chief Justice John Roberts have been described as swing votes between the two factions of the court. In the United Kingdom, the "Essex man", "Worcester woman" and "Holby City woman" are examples of personifications of swing voters.

title: Swing vote


text:
User:PlantDoc

I am a professor of plant pathology at an American university and my efforts focus on the diagnosis and management of fungal pathogens on grasses and vegetables. Both my doctorate and bachelor's degree are in plant pathology and I have been practicing in the field for more than two decades.

title: User:PlantDoc


text:
Afonso Cláudio, Espírito Santo

Afonso Cláudio is a municipality in east central Espírito Santo, Brazil, founded in 1963. The town, at a height of 610m above sea level, has a population of approximately 30,455 and an area of 361.7 km2, and a population density of 32,53 inhabitants/km2. Its borders include: (E) Domingos Martins, Santa Maria de Jetibá and Itarana (N) Laranja da Terra and the neighbouring state of Minas Gerais, (W) Brejetuba (S) Conceição do Castelo and Venda Nova do Imigrante.

History
Afonso Cláudio first began to be populated in 1885, when Valentim Perozzini, an Italian immigrant, moved there. Now that place is called São Luis de Miranda. The mainly Italian immigration which took place in this area was indirect, in that people usually first came from the neighbouring localities of Alfredo Chaves, Castelo and Itaguaçu. The name of the municipality was given in honour of Afonso Cláudio de Freitas Rosa (born in Santa Leopoldina, Espírito Santo), the first governor of that state after the implantation of the Brazilian Republic on November 15, 1889.

title: Afonso Cláudio, Espírito Santo


text:
Hung Hom

Hung Hom is an area in the southeast of Kowloon Peninsula, Hong Kong. Including the areas of Whampoa, Tai Wan, Hok Yuen, Lo Lung Hang and No. 12 Hill are administratively part of the Kowloon City District, with a portion west of Hung Hom Bay in the Yau Tsim Mong District. Hung Hom serves mainly residential purposes, but it is mixed with some industrial buildings in the north.

Geography
Hung Hom is in the southeast of the Kowloon Peninsula. It is bordered by Victoria Harbour in the south, King's Park in the west, No. 12 Hill, Hok Yuen and the valley Lo Lung Hang. in the north.

History
Originally, Hung Hom was much smaller than the present-day context. Hung Hom Bay has been partially reclaimed several times since 1850, expanding the area of Hung Hom as a consequence. Rumsey Rock, formerly located in the bay, was buried in the reclamation process. Later a town was developed eastward parallel to the Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock.

Hung Hom was renamed to "Yamashita District" during the Japanese occupation from 1941 to 1945. It was one of the few places to be renamed.

Education

 * Holy Angels Canossian School
 * Holy Carpenter Secondary School
 * Hong Kong Community College (Hung Hom Bay campus)
 * Hong Kong Polytechnic University
 * Ma Tau Chung Government Primary School (Hung Hom Bay)

Hung Hom is in Primary One Admission (POA) School Net 35. Within the school net are multiple aided schools (operated independently but funded with government money) and Ma Tau Chung Government Primary School (Hung Hom Bay).

 * Former schools
 * Hung Hom Government Primary School - Later used as the Kowloon Junior School Hung Hom Campus, and the French International School of Hong Kong Hung Hom Campus.
 * French International School of Hong Kong (Victor Segalen) Hung Hom Campus
 * Kowloon Junior School (English Schools Foundation) Hung Hom Campus

Residential

 * Chatham Gate
 * Harbour Place
 * Harbourfront Horizon
 * Harbourview Horizon
 * The Harbourfront Landmark
 * Hunghom Bay Centre
 * Hunghom Gardens
 * La Lumiere
 * Laguna Verde
 * The Metropolis Residence
 * Royal Peninsula
 * Stars by the Harbour
 * Star Ruby
 * The Vantage
 * Whampoa Estate
 * Whampoa Garden
 * Public housing estates in Hung Hom

Facilities

 * Hong Kong Coliseum
 * Hung Hom Municipal Building, which includes the Hung Hom Library, Hung Hom Municipal Building Sports Centre, and the Hung Hom Market with a cooked food centre
 * Hung Hom Fire Station
 * Two post offices and the International Mail Centre
 * Hutchison Park, a small park located in a built up residential area once occupied by docklands and fill-in to create more land for residential use.
 * Tai Wan Shan Park, Tai Wan Shan Swimming Pool
 * Hung Hum Promenade
 * Hong Kong Police Traffic Kowloon West Base
 * Fortune Metropolis, a shopping mall in Hung Hom Bay
 * The Whampoa, a shopping centre in Whampoa Garden
 * Lux Theatre
 * Hotels, including Kerry Hotel Hong Kong, Harbour Grand Kowloon and Harbour Plaza Metropolis

Religion

 * Kwun Yum Temple. Built in 1873. Grade II historic building
 * Pak Tai Temple, located at No. 146 Ma Tau Wai Road. Built in 1876. Grade III historic building
 * Holy Carpenter Church (Anglican)
 * St. Mary's Church (Catholic)
 * True World Lutheran Church

MTR
Hung Hom is served by the Hung Hom station of the MTR. The station serves both the East Rail line and Tuen Ma line. This station also previously played host to the Intercity Through Train (and the KTT) serving neighboring Guangdong province and other major cities in mainland China.

As of October 2016, Ho Man Tin station and Whampoa station as part of an extension of the Kwun Tong line, are available for accessing the Hung Hom area.

Tunnel
The Cross-Harbour Tunnel, part of Route 1, was the first road tunnel in Hong Kong that was built under water. It opened on 2 August 1972, and it connects Hong Kong Island and Kowloon at Kellett Island and a reclaimed site at Hung Hom Bay, respectively.

Ferries
Ferries serving Hung Hom Ferry Pier:
 * New World First Ferry: North Point Ferry Pier - Hung Hom Ferry Pier (HK$6.5)
 * Fortune Ferry: Central Ferry Pier - Hung Hom Ferry Pier (HK$9)

Buses
There are three bus terminals in Hung Hom. Many buses serve the area.
 * Solely-operated cross harbour route: 108
 * Cross harbour routes operated with Citybus: 102, 102P, 103, 107, 107P, 117, 118, 118P, 170, 171, 182, N118, N170, N182
 * Cross harbour routes operated with New World First Bus: 101, 101R, 101X, 102R, 104, 106, 106A, 106P, 109, 110, 111, 111P, 112, 113, 115, 115P, 116, 301, N121, N122;
 * Non-cross harbour routes: 2E, 3B, 5, 5A, 5C, 5D, 6C, 6F, 7B, 8, 8A, 8P, 11, 11K, 11X, 12A, 12P, 13X, 14, 15, 15X, 21, 26, 28, 30X, 41, 45, 85S, 85X, 87D, 93K, 98D, 219X, 224X, 230X, 260X, 268B, 269B, 271S, 287D, 296D, 297, 297P, N41X, N216, N241, N271, N281;
 * New World First Bus: 796X.
 * Citybus: A20, A21, A22, A23, E21X, E23, E23A, R11, R22, N11, N23, NA20.
 * Minibus routes: 2, 2A, 6, 6A, 6X, 8, 13.

title: Hung Hom