Lowering the voting age in New Zealand: Rotorua students, young councillor share views on debate

As the election campaign heats up, Rotorua high school students are debating whether 16- and 17-year-olds should be allowed to vote.

The “yes” group has the backing of one of New Zealand’s youngest district councillors, Fisher Wang, who was 19, working at McDonald’s and not long out of high school when he was first elected to Rotorua Lakes District Council in 2019.

Some teenagers, however, say lowering the voting age from 18 to 16 would be a bad idea.

The voting age debate has been strengthened by two significant reviews last month that backed making it 16. These were the Review into the Future for Local Government and the interim report from the Independent Electoral Review into the central government system.

The local government panel’s recommendation was to “replenish local democracy”, with older Pākehā elected members being “over-represented” and voter turnout down.

”Rangatahi [young people] live with and will inherit the decisions made now, and 16- and 17-year-olds should be eligible to vote.”

Submissions for the central government electoral review closed last week and it was due to submit its final report in November.

The Supreme Court last November declared the current voting age of 18 was inconsistent with the Bill of Rights, namely the right to be free from discrimination on the basis of age, and that these inconsistencies have not been justified.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins ruled out a referendum on the voting age this election.

Wang said lowering the voting age would be “a progressive and inclusive step forward”.

Rotorua Lakes Council elected member Fisher Wang was first elected in 2019. Photo / Laura Smith

“Young people have a stake in the future of our communities and they should have a voice in shaping their future.”

He said, however, it would be interesting to see how it would work legally and if 16-year-olds would have the same legal responsibilities as an adult.

He also wanted civics education for young people, and to start the process of re-establishing a youth council to help younger voices be heard and, he believed, improve intergenerational decision-making. Wang was in the last group in 2016.

“Young people are caring more and more about their future. They see what is at stake here.”

Several pupils from Rotorua Girls’ High School and Rotorua Lakes High School spoke to Local Democracy Reporting about the topic.

Rotorua youth have their say on voting age. Clockwise from top left: Keeley Carter-Conroy, 16, Kya Stuart, 17, Ethan Hoggard, 18, and Frances Hazeldine, 17. Photos / Andrew Warner

Ethan Hoggard, 18, from Rotorua Lakes High believed it was a bad idea to give 16-year-olds the vote.

He said he thought about the people he knew aged 16 and that he probably would not have made good decisions at that age.

Schoolmate Kya Stuart, 17, agreed the voting age should not be that low and said it would add a lot of pressure on young people.

She said a youth council could create opportunities but believed many people complained without doing anything about it.

“There are enough opportunities if you go out of your way to do it.”

Rotorua Lakes High School pupils Ethan Hoggard, 18 and Kya Stuart, 17. Photo / Andrew Warner

Pupils at Rotorua Girls High School had different viewpoints. Keeley Carter-Conroy, 16, said if she was deemed responsible enough to drive on the road, she was responsible enough to cast her vote.

She believed students should be educated about civics to give them an understanding of how local and central government impacted them personally, such as with rates.

”If we learned about it after school it would be a massive shock.”

She felt being able to vote younger would give her some control in her life at an age when she felt lots was being “thrown” at her.

“I’d like to know there is something I can do as myself, and I can make a change instead of someone telling me what to do.”

She also backed the youth council idea, as did fellow pupils Frances Hazeldine, 17, and Moerewarewa Tunui, 16.

Hazeldine said youth often held perspectives others did not, particularly on topics such as the environment.

She felt a youth council would be a good pathway for getting more young elected members.

“I know that the average age for people in the council is quite high, so [a] youth council could help to bring that down.”

Rotorua Girls' High School pupils Moerewarewa Tunui, 16, Frances Hazeldine, 17, and Keeley Carter-Conroy. Photo / Andrew Warner

Rotorua Lakes High School principal Jon Ward said there were students who were very keen for a lower voting age.

Sharing his personal views, Ward said he respected democracy and if it was what people wanted then he was “all for it”.

He believed current social challenges meant it was good for children to engage with politics at an earlier age.

He had been involved in discussions with the council about a youth council in the past and would be on board again if it was an option.

Rotorua Girls’ High School principal Sarah Davis also supported any future youth council being established.

She agreed with lowering the voting age, saying there were students who wanted to be heard.

“Love it, love the idea”.

Youth offered perspective adults may not see, she said.

She said political candidates invited to speak to Year 13s during the last general election were impressed by what the pupils had to say.

Education Minister Jan Tinetti said the Government was committed to giving schools and kura flexibility and support to teach life skills in a range of contexts according to local needs.

“The refreshed New Zealand curriculum will identify life skills capabilities across all learning areas, including civics and citizenship capability.”

Education Minister Jan Tinetti spoke about life skills for young people. Photo / Mark Mitchell

She said through the curriculum, school children would learn how societies organised systems and rules to create unity and order, roles and responsibilities related to these systems and rules, and the impact of them on people’s freedom and experience of justice.

It also created a School Leavers’ Toolkit website, which helped young people gain critical life skills on topics such as government and voting, moving out of home, getting a job, and money and tax.

Laura Smith is a Local Democracy Reporting journalist based at the Rotorua Daily Post. She previously reported general news for the Otago Daily Times and Southland Express, and has been a journalist for four years.

- Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ on Air