New Zealand to consider allowing 16-year-olds to vote after current age of 18 dubbed discriminatory

While PM Jacinda Ardern supports reducing the age, political parties remain divided

New Zealand’s prime minister Jacinda Ardern looks on as she attends the “APEC Leaders’ Dialogue with ABAC” event during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Bangkok on 18 November 2022 (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

New Zealand lawmakers will decide on lowering the national voting age from 18 to 16, said prime minister Jacinda Ardern, hours after the country’s Supreme Court ruled that not allowing those aged 16 and 17 to polling booths amounted to discrimination.

Though Ms Ardern said she personally favours reducing the age, to actually convert the ruling into law would require legislation to be passed in the parliament, something that would require the support of a 75 per cent super majority, which proponents feel they do not have at the moment.

“I personally support a decrease in the voting age but it is not a matter simply for me or even the government, any change in electoral law of this nature requires 75 per cent of parliamentarian support,” Ms Ardern said on Monday.