On Monday, New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern said the government would introduce a bill to lower the voting age to 16, after the supreme court ruled the voting age of 18 discriminated against younger voters and that parliament was breaching their fundamental human rights.
It is a landmark victory for the Make it 16 campaign, which was created after the 2019 school strikes for climate as a way to give young people more of a say of issues that will affect their future such as climate change. The bill will be tough to pass, with changes to electoral law requiring a 75% majority, and National and Act saying they will oppose it.
Only a handful of countries allow under-18s to vote, but in recent years, international campaigns to lower voting ages have grown, with many arguing that young people should have a say on long-term democratic decisions, given they will have to live with the consequences.
Are you a young person who would be affected by any changes? How would you feel about being able to vote? Are you a parent or guardian whose children would be able to vote at the next election if legislation was changed? We would love to hear your views in the box below.
