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NEWS AT A GLANCE

New Zealand considers

lowering the voting age to 16
New Zealand’s Supreme Court rules that the
voting age of 18 breaches the human rights of
young people

21 dicembre 2022
di Carlo Dellonte

M
ake It 16, a New Zealander youth-led organization, launched a
campaign in 2019 to lower the voting age to 16. The campaigners point
out that at the age of 16, New Zealanders can already do many ‘adult’
things, such as drive, consent to sex, consent to medical procedures, leave
school, work full time and pay taxes. This, they argue, should give them the right
to vote as well. They also believe that, by lowering the voting age, more voices
can be heard, giving a more democratic and accurate representation of the
nation.

Few countries in the world allow 16-year-olds to vote. Among them are Brazil,
Cuba and Austria. However, Make It 16 is not alone in advocating for lowering the
voting age. Other campaigns around the world are doing likewise. British
professor David Runciman points out that this change is vital because the
population of most countries is aging quickly. Older voters are becoming an
ever-increasing percentage of the voting population. This, he claims, is causing a
democratic crisis. Older people are more concerned with current issues and are
not interested in planning for a future they will not see. On the contrary, young
people will have to live with the consequences of the political decisions taken
today. Young voters, for example, want to vote on issues such as climate change,
which will have a massive impact on their adult lives.

Make it 16 took its campaign to court and won. The Supreme Court ruled that the
current voting age of 18 was inconsistent with the country’s Bill of Rights. Prime
Minister Jacinda Ardern’s government immediately announced that it intends to
present a bill before Parliament to reset the voting age to 16. Parliament will
probably take a vote in the coming months. The bill can pass only with a 75%
majority. The outcome is uncertain as Parliament is currently divided between
those who support the proposed bill and those who oppose it.

ACTIVITY

UK professor David Runciman says that “young people are massively outnumbered
because the voting age is 18, whereas there isn’t a cutoff point at the other end.” He
does not say people should lose the right to vote when they reach a certain age, but
he provocatively suggests lowering the voting age to 6! What do you think?

Pair up with one of your classmates and look at the proposition below; one of you will
argue in favour of it and the other will argue against it.

Proposition: The voting ages should be lowered to 16*.

*Alternatively, choose a different age.

(Carlo Dellonte)
(Image: Pexels)

CATEGORIE

Istruzione di qualità, Pace, giustizia e istituzioni forti, English

PAROLE CHIAVE
vote, voting age, New Zealand, 16, Make it 16, right of vote, New Zealand’s Supreme Court,
young people