01 December

Yesterday 66 Local Government Elected Members sent an open letter to Cabinet calling on them to allow a separate vote on the voting age for local elections, and urging Parliament to pass that vote. This comes at the same time as Porirua City Council passed a resolution doing the same by 9 votes to 2.

“The message to Cabinet and Parliament is clear. It is time to make the voting age 16 for local elections” says Make It 16 co-director Caeden Tipler (they/them). “The Bill the Government is proposing to put before the House must include a separate vote for Local Government elections. That way if 51% of MPs support a lower voting age for local elections then that support will be respected and the law will change. That is compared to the 75% majority required for general elections.”

“Young people deserve a say in the buses we take, the parks, pools, and libraries we use, and the climate decisions Councils make that will impact our future significantly. The Review into the Future of Local Government recommended a voting age of 16. The momentum is strong.”

“Now 66 elected members have backed the call for a separate vote. Cabinet and Parliament cannot ignore their voices. Especially when the Supreme Court was unanimous in ruling that preventing 16 and 17 year-olds from voting in local elections is inconsistent with the Bill of Rights. That landmark judgment must be acted upon and the rights of rangatahi need to be upheld.”

“Overseas we have often seen the voting age lowered to 16 in stages. We know that lowering the voting age for local elections is an effective way to demonstrate the value of bringing young people to the decision-making table.”

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