New Zealand to consider allowing 16-year-olds to vote after discrimination ruling

The Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has committed to introduce a bill in Parliament, and New Zealand is contemplating reducing the voting age from 18 to 16. According to The Guardian, a landmark Supreme Court judgement that the current voting limit of 18 was "discriminatory" and violated the human rights of young people led to the decision to examine allowing 16-year-olds the ability to vote.

Although Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern personally favours the proposal, at least 75% of the MPs in Parliament must also approve the bill to lower the voting age. The government does not currently have enough support to pass such a Bill.

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The Independent on Monday cited Jacinda Ardern as stating, "I personally favour a drop in the voting age, but it is not an issue merely for me or even the government; any change in electoral legislation of this sort requires 75% of Parliamentarian approval."

She made her statement in response to a Supreme Court decision on Monday, which concluded a two-year legal battle brought by a group of young activists called Make It 16. The group argued that younger people should be able to vote on issues like the climate crisis because it will disproportionately affect them and their futures. 

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Parliament must now discuss whether the age should be lowered. But the decision does not force parliament to change the voting age.

"This is history," Make It 16 co-director Caeden Tipler said. He further said, "The government and parliament cannot ignore such a clear legal and moral message. They must let us vote."

The New Zealand court held that since concerns like the climate catastrophe will disproportionately affect them and their futures, younger people should be permitted to vote on them. Only a small number of nations, including Brazil, Austria, and Cuba, permit voting by persons under the age of 18.

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• Jacinda Ardern
• New Zealand
• Parliament
• Supreme Court