Minimum voting age - the debate
Over the last number of months my 17 year old daughter has expressed how much she is looking forward to exercising her franchise* in her first election (she will be 18). As an elections professional it gives me great pride that she is a civic minded individual and has a keen sense of the world around her. I know that at her age she is not alone in her world view and local knowledge/understanding, and is probably just as much, if not more, qualified to make judgements on our political leaders than some older voters. But at what age would she have been ready to make such a decision? Our government, and parents, allowed her at the age of 16 to take control of car. If she so desired, and we allowed her, she could have received a hunting permit (with proper instruction and licencing) at the age of 14.
When many modern democracies first established the right to vote the generally accepted minimum voting age was set to 21 or higher.
In the 1970’s there was a push to drop the voting page to 18 as this was the age at which one could be drafted into war and consume alcohol, why not vote!? And many did. There were also regions/groups that thought a reduction to the age of 16 is appropriate as they would be affected by decisions of 18 year olds.
In July of 2007 Austria became the first member of the European Union, and the first developed world democracy to adopt the voting age of 16 for most purposes.
On July 26th, 2007 a New Zealand MP introduced a bill (Civics Education and Voting Age Bill) that was to reduce the voting age to 16 and make civics education part of the compulsory curriculum in schools. (Later dropped as thought it was the wrong timing)
In 2009 a member of the Danish Parliament went as far as to submit an initiative to give children the right to vote from birth with the parents casting their vote until the child had the capacity to decide how to vote – Demeny Voting
In 2013 the city of Takoma Park USA became the first in the US to drop the voting age to 16 for municipal elections and referendums.
Another notable change in voting age was September 2014 when the age for voting in the Scottish Independence referendum was dropped from 18 to 16.
- There is only one known maximum voting age, the Holy See (Vatican) where the Cardinals must be under the age of 80 to elect a Pope.
Arguments for lowering the voting age:
-
It will encourage greater civic participation
- Habit of voting becomes well ingrained - as those that vote at a younger age tend to continue to vote as they get older
- Ensure the concerns and issues of youth are addressed
- Young people are interested in politics – just look at social media!
- We need to involve people of all ages and backgrounds
- Today’s teenagers have more experience of the world than we did, they work and contribute to the economy
Arguments against lowering the voting age:
-
One needs more experience of the world
- More likely to be influenced by a parent/teacher and therefore not believed to be independent
- Less informed judgement
- Idealism turns into reality as we age/experience and learn
As pointed out by others, these are the same arguments used in the past against giving women and the working class the right to vote! “Not intelligent or mature enough”.
A summary look at voting ages by number of constituencies
Voting age table:
Minimum Voting Age
|
Number of countries/constituencies
|
16
|
13
|
17
|
7
|
18
|
204
|
19
|
1
|
20
|
2
|
21
|
10
|
*Using the term “exercising one’s franchise” draws more than one similarity to the actual act of physical exercise- the younger you start the more you are likely to continue. There is too much apathy to voting and obesity in our world.
