Lowering the voting age to 16 in Canberra could result in 16-year-old ministers, the ACT Electoral Commission has suggested.

The ACT Greens used their powersharing deal with Labor to secure an inquiry into last year's ACT election, the Electoral Act and whether residents aged 16 and 17 should have the option to vote in local elections.

That would mean an extra 9000 voters, according to ACT Electoral figure estimates, and an extra $72,000 for political parties under the new public funding rules, which give candidates $8 per vote. 

"Decisions made today will affect young people right now, and potentially for the rest of their lives," convenor Michael Mazengarb wrote in the submission.

"Lowering the voting age means more people helping to shape our city, our democracy and our future which the ACT Greens strongly support."

ACT Young Labor said allowing 16 and 17 year olds to vote would entrench political participation at an early age and boost enrolment by getting people involved while they were still at school. 

But the ACT Electoral Commission strongly opposed any changes to the voting age, on the basis it would bring the ACT out of line with the rest of Australia and increase the cost of maintaining the electoral roll.

Acting commissioner Ro Spence pointed out it could mean a 16 or 17 year old could be eligible to stand for election, if the Assembly chose to "maintain a harmony between voting and candidacy".

"Lowering the age of candidacy to 16 could be seen as unacceptable, if the view was taken that it would be inappropriate for a minor to be a member of the Assembly, and/or a minister," Mr Spence said.

"Given that the role of member of the Assembly is taken to be a full-time occupation, it could also be seen as inappropriate for a 16 or 17 year old to take up a seat as a member if he or she had not yet completed secondary schooling, and would be prevented from doing so by virtue of being elected."

Mr Spence contended it could set minors up to be fined, and "have the effect of imposing a criminal penalty on minors, which could be seen as unacceptable".

Constitutional lawyer and University of New South Wales' Anthony Mason Professor George Williams said the voting age should be lowered "by way of a cautious, incremental path" and the vote should only be extended to young people who want it. 

However ACT Labor secretary Matt Byrne said the party would only consider supporting such a change if it maintained the principle of compulsory voting.

Former  ACT speaker Greg Cormell suggested allowing minors the option to vote was "destroying the compulsory nature of voting" and could be a "financial and administrative nightmare" if they enrolled but later decided they wanted to take their name off the roll. 

The Canberra LIberals did not provide a submission to the inquiry but a spokesman for leader Alistair Coe said they would not support any changes to the voting age. 

Australian National University lecturer Dr Andrew Hughes proposed an entirely system altogether, suggesting people aged 16-18 could run, vote and form political parties for youth elections every four years.

"I realise that this won't be cheap or easy to do. But we are at risk of losing the belief of  our young people that our system of government is the right one for the ACT and  Australia. That cost is far greater than any financial one," Dr Hughes said.

The committee will hold its first public hearing on Thursday.