Labour considers voting age referendum

Newshub reports:

Senior Government minister Michael Wood, appearing alongside Collins, said Cabinet was considering the voting age “in the next little while”.

“We’ll be working through that,” he said. “We’ve always had the view that if the voting age was to be lowered, it would be really significant and there would probably need to be a process of the New Zealand public having their say on that.”

The Government announced in November it would draft legislation on the matter to allow all of Parliament to consider it. 

“There’s been a legal process that means we do need to respond,” Wood said.

“I think for any big change to your voting system you generally need to talk to the people.”

If the matter did go to a referendum, however, Wood said it would be “very tough” to hold it at this year’s general election, “given the timeframes”.

A referendum on the voting age at the election is a great idea. It will massively boost turnout the 80% of the adult population who don’t think we should give children the vote.

I think the voting age should be set to be the same as the drinking age.