By Brittany Busch
Britain’s move to lower the voting age by two years to 16 has reignited debate in Australia, where the Greens and youth advocates have unsuccessfully campaigned to amend the voting age for years.
The UK government said the proposed changes were designed to boost participation and trust in the electoral system, which suffered its lowest turnout at the national election in 2024 since 2001.
Zach Zhao has lobbied the government to lower the voting age to 16.
Greens spokesperson for youth Jordon Steele-John told this masthead lowering the age in Australia would increase democratic participation, but opponents have long argued that younger teens lack the necessary education, maturity, interest and contribution to the country to vote.
“We should follow [the UK] swiftly... and bring over half a million Australians into the democratic process,” Steele-John said.
The West Australian senator, who was elected at the age of 23 after another Greens senator had to resign because of citizenship issues, said the parliament was not representative of the community and the Greens would pursue legislation again this term to change the voting age.
“This group of people who can pay taxes, can drive, can get a job, can join the armed services, are excluded from having their voice,” he said.
Year 12 student Zach Zhao, 17, and part of the national Make It 16 campaign, said the voting age should be lowered because teens were the ones who would live through the effects of today’s policy decisions.
Zhao said climate action was a major issue he wanted to vote on, as well as government support payments and Youth Allowance. He said as a Year 12 student who would need to move interstate to do the degree he wanted, he should have a say about the government assistance he was not currently eligible for.
Shadow minister for youth Angie Bell said Australia’s education system had a “serious gap” when it came to civics and citizenship.
“The latest data showed that fewer than three in 10 students in year 10 meet the proficiency standard in civics and citizenship,” she said in a statement.
But Zhao argued an uninformed 17-year-old would probably become an uninformed 18-year-old.
The office of Minister for Youth Jess Walsh did not respond to a request for comment.
In the UK, Nigel Farage, leader of the right-wing Reform UK party, which is leading the polls ahead of Starmer’s Labour, has opposed lowering the voting age, saying young people had a left-wing bias.
“Giving 16- and 17-year-olds the right to vote is an attempt to rig the political system,” Farage said. But he projected confidence that his party would get a significant share of their votes. “If this goes ahead, Labour could be in for a shock,” he posted on X.
Research by economic research institute e61 earlier this year showed young women in Australia remain the most progressive cohort, but found Gen Z men had more traditional views about gender roles than their Gen Y and Gen X counterparts.
Keir Starmer and his wife, Victoria, arrive at a polling station to cast their vote in London at last year’s election.Credit: AP
Most countries have a voting age of 18, though Germany, Belgium, Austria and Malta shifted to 16 in last year’s European Parliament elections.
Past pushes to lower the age to 16 in Australia have been unsuccessful, though the Whitlam government lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 to keep in line with international norms in 1973.
Steele-John said he would reintroduce a private members bill from 2023 – a largely symbolic gesture that did not have the support of the major parties – this term, which would make it compulsory for 16- and 17-year-olds to vote.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer took the voting age policy to last year’s election, and the parliamentary approval still required for the legislative change is likely to pass.
“They’re old enough to go out to work, they’re old enough to pay taxes,” Starmer said on Thursday (UK time).
A dog sits outside a polling station in London during the last UK election, in which 48 million people were eligible to cast a ballot. There are about 1.6 million people aged 16 and 17.Credit: AP
Despite Starmer’s large electoral win last year, his popularity has fallen and his party sits second in most opinion polls behind Farage’s Reform.
Britain’s Conservative Party – the second largest in parliament, which has fallen further behind rivals since losing power last year – said the proposal was inconsistent, with 16-year-olds due to be able to vote but not allowed to “buy a lottery ticket, consume alcohol, marry, or go to war”.
Research from other countries and reviewed in a House of Commons library paper showed lowering the voting age had no impact on election outcomes.
With Reuters
Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world. Sign up for the weekly What in the World newsletter here.