Should 16-year-olds be allowed to vote? The push in parliament explained

The Greens want to lower the voting age to 16. Why have they made the shift?

The Greens want to lower the voting age in Australia. Source: SBS News

KEY POINTS:

• The Greens are pushing to lower the voting age to 16.
• A similar move is underway in New Zealand.
• There are currently 13 countries where 16-year-olds can vote.

A plan to give 16-year-olds the right to vote is being introduced to parliament, as politicians converge on Canberra for the first time this year.

The Greens are making their push to lower the voting age, allowing 16 and 17-year-olds to take part in federal elections, their first order of business.

They argue young Australians should have a say on issues that will have a disproportionate impact over their lifetimes.

The idea's already been tried overseas, but remains controversial here.

Here's what you need to know.

What's being proposed?

Greens MP Stephen Bates wants to lower the voting age. Source: AAP / Lukas Coch

Australians aged 18 or over are obligated to vote in local, state and federal elections, but Greens MP Stephen Bates is pushing a bill which would lower the voting age in federal elections to 16.

While the Greens claim voting would remain compulsory for all eligible voters, the normal enforcement process would not exist for those under 18, whose fines would be waived.

It's a private member's bill, meaning it is a largely symbolic push without support from the major parties.

What are the politicians saying?

Mr Bates insisted young people are being excluded from decisions, but will "face the brunt" of the climate crisis, housing affordability, and inequality.

"Voter participation in Australia continues to decline. The recent federal election, we saw the lowest level ever since compulsory voting was introduced. It's so important that we preserve our democracy, expand our democracy and give young people a say in their future," he told reporters on Monday.

Advocates for the change say young people will face the worst of the climate crisis, and should have a say over it. Source: Press Association

Labor has previously said it's open to the idea, but didn't respond to SBS News' request for comment on Monday.

Liberal frontbencher Jane Hume said she had not seen the bill, but did not sound particularly enthused. "I think I can safely say that it's certainly not one of our priorities," she told reporters on Monday.

What about experts?

Critics have argued 16-year olds simply lack the maturity and motivation to vote.

But others have raised concerns about how the logisitics would work. In the ACT, where the Greens have also pushed the idea, the Electoral Commission warned it does not have the resources to expand the voter roll so drastically, and feared not enrolling could be a criminal offence for 16-year olds.

"[It] needs to be balanced against we believe the significant negative issues that mandatory enrollment in voting would bring," ACT electoral commissioner Damian Cantwell said a year ago.

But Faith Gordon, associate professor at the ANU College of Law and director of the Youth Justice Network, rejected the “persistent stereotype” that young people are disengaged, saying lowering the voting age would give them a “really good route” to directly shaping the society they’ll live in.

Voting is currently limited to those aged 18 or over. Source: AAP

The move would also make politicians more inclined to engage with younger people and their concerns, she said.

“We know through the data that exists that expenditure … [is] skewed towards older people in society. Young people are going to be left with the ramifications of that spending,” she said.

Currently 16-year olds in most Australian jurisdictions are able to consent to sex, pay tax, and leave school.

"We do expect a lot from young people of that age, but it is an arbitrary figure [currently] for adults. As soon as the calendar date passes and you're that age, you can do X, Y and Z," Dr Gordon said.

"Those of us that work with young people would likely advocate for [the change]."

Has it happened overseas?

Thirteen countries allow at least some 16-year-olds to vote, but there are a number of different models.

The New Zealand government is pushing to lower its voting age to 16, after a landmark ruling by the country's supreme court in November found the current threshold - 18 years - breached young people's human rights. That ruling forces parliament to debate the change, which Prime Minister Chris Hipkins publicly supports, but there is no guarantee it will become law.

Austria already allows 16-year-olds to vote, while Germany is currently working through a motion that would allow that cohort to take part in European Union elections.

In Brazil and Argentina, they have an option to vote which becomes compulsory once they turn 18.

In the UK, you must be 18 years old to cast a ballot in Westminster elections - which include representatives from England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales. But Scotland and Wales also hold elections for their own parliaments, where 16-year-olds have the right to vote.

You can also vote in elections at 16 in Bosnia, provided you're employed.