Tasmanian Upper House member for Mersey, Mike Gaffney MLC, recently spoke to the Legislative Council pushing forward the case for Vote 16….

Tasmanian Parliament Upper House (23/05/2023)

Voluntary Voting for Young People

This morning I would like to bring to your attention the topic of voluntary voting for young people aged 16 and 17 years. As we are all aware, Australia is a representative democracy where all citizens 18 years and over have the right and compulsory responsibility to vote in elections. It is acknowledged and appreciated that voting - whether at a local, state or federal level - affords individuals with a civic duty, a right and a privilege, a choice of representation, along with collective power to effect change.

Globally, ages to commence voting vary from 16 to 25, with both optional and compulsory requirements. Whilst most nations choose 18 as a notional default, there are, in fact, nine countries that have a legal voting age of 16 and above.

I will focus on one of those countries in particular - Scotland. Scotland initially made a one-off decision for those aged 16 and 17 years to be included in the franchise for Scotland's 2014 referendum on independence and shortly thereafter, continued for all Scottish elections.

Since then, 16- and 17-year-olds have been allowed to vote in the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish local council elections. A case study of "Votes at 16", undertaken in Scotland in 2021, provided evidence on the immediate effects of voting age reform on young people's engagement with politics. The study revealed a boost in confidence and a youth voice, and led to a perceived increase in political efficacy and engagement. Many young Scots said the introduction of "Votes at 16" gave them a voice to be heard, an opportunity to be taken seriously and a feeling that they had power to effect change. It was also found that the newly enfranchised voters developed higher levels of interest in politics than their non-enfranchised peers. They learned to form their own opinions and to take responsibility for their political decisions.

Many of the decisions made today come into play two or three years down the track, and with many issues of concern for all people, including the one of mature minors, perhaps voluntary voting for 16- and 17-year-olds makes sense and would enhance and strengthen our democratic system.

Similarly, it has been interesting to note that in Austria, after lowering its voting age, 16- and 17-year olds felt an obligation to become more informed about politics, and most of the responsibility for the provision of information was assigned to their education system. A robust civic education can positively shape early voting experiences - as many of us in this place well know from those inspiring young people who take part and flourish in our Youth Parliament week.

I, and many of my colleagues in this place, have always strongly supported Youth Parliament. We all gain so much from our engagement with these motivated and enthusiastic young people who will go on to be informed voters and advocates in our community. I encourage all members to become involved in this year's Tasmanian Youth Parliament experience and, with registrations now open, I encourage all Year 10, 11 and 12 students to apply.

Political citizenship in one's formative years has been found to be critical in the transition into an informed and autonomous adulthood. With positive salient foundations, early political engagement can have lasting effects.

Australia's young citizens today have many and diverse matters to consider and address such as social, economic and environmental issues that deserve a fully inclusive and collective platform upon which to be heard. Voluntary electoral participation for 16- and 17-year-olds would provide an entirely appropriate method for them to take an active part in our democratic process. It can be argued that young people bring a fresh perspective lo the political climate, with nuanced ideas and optimistic enthusiasm for the future of our nation.

On several occasions, Australia has been at the forefront of international efforts to extend the franchise. This was the case with the push for women's suffrage in the late 1800s. In 1973, more citizens obtained the right to participate in Australian elections when the voting age was lowered from 21 to 18 years old. This was four years after the UK did the same. Maybe it is time for us to catch up with Scotland once again.

Young people are the future leaders and, in my view, worthy of a consideration for voting age reform. Young people deserve an authentic voice in our nation's democratic process and should be a given a say in collectively shaping our federal, slate and local governments and the policies, directions and ideals of our truly democratic nation.

Recently, the Minister for Local Government, seemingly overnight, introduced compulsory voting for last year's local government elections. With state elections currently scheduled for 2025 and local government elections in 2026, one hopes that Tasmania can be the first state to address the opportunity for voluntary voting for those aged 16 and 17.

In conclusion, the provision of voluntary voting for 16- and 17-year olds, will not only assist in shaping well-informed, empowered and active political citizens for our collective future, but will also lead to a more dynamically integrated society and improve societal representation, both of which are critical for a healthy and flourishing democracy.