Experts from the Australian National University (ANU) have come out in support of a Bill to lower the voting age in the ACT.
In a submission to the Legislative Assembly, 30 academics and advocates said they strongly supported the Electoral Amendment Bill 2021 introduced into the Assembly which, if passed, would lower voting age in the ACT from 18 years to 16.
One of the submission’s lead authors and Associate Professor at the ANU College of Law, Faith Gordon said young people were wrongly stereotyped as lacking political and moral judgement.
Dr Gordon (pictured) said the stereotypes were not grounded in any credible evidence and were due to misrepresentation in the media.
“You can apply to join the defence forces at 16, you can have sexual intercourse legally at 17 and you can be charged with criminal offences, but you can’t vote,” she said.
“Young people already make a host of important contributions to socio-economic and political activities, and have many rights and responsibilities in society.
“If young people can do so much at 16, why don’t they deserve the basic right to vote?”
Dr Gordon said the legislation would be consistent with moves under way in many jurisdictions around the world to reduce the voting age and with international human rights law.
She said a large number of countries including Argentina, Austria, Bosnia, Brazil, Cuba, Timor-Leste, Ecuador, Estonia, Greece, Indonesia, Israel, Malta and Nicaragua had reduced the voting age to 17 or, in some cases, 16.
“It is a basic human right,” Dr Gordon said.
“Lowering the voting age to 16 years extends basic citizenship, democratic and human rights to more young people.”
Dr Gordon said a lowered voting age would give effect to the Territory’s Human Rights Act 2004, would strengthen the democratic culture of the ACT and boost voter turnout rates now and in the future.
