Alice Mander, Independent Electoral Review Panel member and disability advocate, writes about whether NZ should lower the voting age.

In October, millions of New Zealanders will head to the polls to elect our next government. Should 16-year-olds be among them?

That’s a question we’ve been asking as part of the Independent Electoral Review, and we’re not the only ones. Currently, you have to be 18 to vote in Aotearoa New Zealand. Last year, the Supreme Court found that this rule discriminated against 16 and 17-year-olds based on age under our human rights laws. This decision has sparked a lot of debate recently about what our voting age should be.   

Voting is a right, but it’s also a powerful and important responsibility. Most people would agree that children shouldn’t be voting. But there’s less agreement on just how old is old enough.  

We’ve heard different opinions during our review. Some people thought that 16 is too young to vote. They said that at 16, people don’t have the life experience or the knowledge they need to vote. On the other hand, we heard strong views that 16-year-olds are perfectly capable of voting and have a right to do so, especially as many do work, and are legally allowed to leave home, have sex, and consent to medical treatment. 

As part of our review, we took a good look at the research. Based on the evidence, we think 16-year-olds are just as capable of voting as 18-year-olds. Some countries, like Austria and Scotland, have already changed their voting age to 16, and we’re encouraged by the trends in youth participation we’re seeing there.

More people voting means more people having a say about the future of our country – and that’s good for the health of our democracy. Research tells us that people who start voting young are likely to keep voting for the rest of their lives. And they may be more likely to start voting when they’re still at home and in school. For most of us, turning 18 can come with big life changes: it’s when we’re leaving home, starting uni, taking on new jobs and new responsibilities. At 16, there’s often more headspace and support to learn about voting and how it’s done.

As a university student, I’ve seen first-hand how engaged young people can be with the big issues shaping our lives. The school climate strikes, both here and overseas, are just one example. Our younger generations will have to deal with the consequences of decisions made by governments today. Lowering the voting age would mean they have a chance to help shape our national response to the challenges we face.  

For these reasons, we’re recommending the voting age should be 16 in our interim report. 

But the story doesn’t end there. Having the right to vote is just the first step – you’ve got to be able to use it, too. 

When I was 10, I was diagnosed with a progressive disability, and I now use a wheelchair to help me get around. My experiences as a disabled student led to me founding the National Disabled Students’ Association, becoming an advocate for the rights of disabled people in Aotearoa. 

Some of the challenges the disabled community face in elections are that information about party policies often isn’t available in accessible formats, such as New Zealand Sign Language or EasyRead, and some polling places are inaccessible. If you can’t see the voting paper, you might have to get someone else to mark the ballot for you – which is also a privacy issue. In our interim report, we’re proposing funding for political parties to make campaign material more accessible. 

Our recommendations aim to make sure that everyone who is eligible – young people, disabled people, Māori, rural New Zealanders – can exercise their right to vote. We hope you’ll share your ideas with us too. We’re seeking feedback until 17 July, so there’s still time to tell us if you think we’ve got it right.

More information about the review, including how you can have your say, can be found at electoralreview.govt.nz. Submissions close on 17 July 2023.