The electoral reform in the United Kingdom will now see anyone aged 16 and older able to vote starting from the next general election. Compulsory voting is not a feature of the UK electoral system.

So what exactly would it mean if we let hundreds of thousands more teenagers in Australia flexing their democratic right to vote?

Politicians in support of the move are asking for an amendment to the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 and Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Act 1984.

“We’re similar countries with similar values and should look to other countries for how they keep their democratic process fair and inclusive,” Ryan said.

“Enfranchisement should be extended to as many Australians as reasonable, including young people, to ensure that those impacted by government decision-making have a say in those decision.”

Ryan will introduce a private members’ bill to lower the voting age and said she will push the Labor government to pass a bill this term.

She has nominated to join the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters and plans to raise this issue, along with advocating alongside the group Make it 16.

Make it 16 is a youth-led campaign which is calling for the minimum voting age in every Australian election to be 16.

Labor was initially supportive of lowering the age in 2018 but it hit a snag when it couldn’t be agreed if 16- and 17-year-olds should be forced to vote, Ryan said.

“I know that some members of the government support lowering the voting age – we saw that in the parliamentary inquiry that reported in 2018,” Ryan said.

“Senior Labor politicians, including Bill Shorten, have been very supportive of the concept in the past.

“I suspect they’ve not given the issue much thought in recent months.”

Greens Senator Jordon Steele-John introduced a bill to lower the voting age in 2018 but his proposal was unsuccessful after the then-Morrison government blocked it.

“This is a simple bill with very simple intentions,” Steele-John said at the time.

“Sixteen- and 17-year-olds can work and pay tax, own and drive a car, sign a rental tenancy agreement, have sex, join a political party and join our defence forces, and in some cases be tried as an adult by our criminal justice system.

“They have a right to be able to vote.”

Ryan agreed that teenagers in Australia are politically engaged and deserve to be consulted in how the country is governed.

“Early participation in the electoral process has been shown to improve political engagement. Young people can leave school, get a job, and pay taxes,” she said.

“They should have a say in who represents them and their interests in government.”

The Youth Action and Policy Association (NSW) (Youth Action NSW) noted that those under 18 generate almost $51 million in direct income tax revenue annually.

The voting age in Australia has been successfully lowered before.

In 1973, the voting age was lowered from 21 to 18 through an amendment to the Electoral Act.

Recent wars at the time were a pivotal reason for the amendment.

If 18- and 19-year-olds were asked to fight and give their lives for their country, it was proposed, why not let them vote?

Those against the bill have previously argued that 16- and 17-year-olds are not politically mature enough to vote.

Jaysen Mitzie Cubilla, a private citizen, told the inquiry in 2018 that he believed people under 18 were not yet capable of making “wise choices”.

“A majority of students are highly uneducated in our political systems, and allowing them to vote would be an insult to our democracy,” he told the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters.

A key issue that has halted progress in Australia is compulsory voting.

Ryan has vowed to introduce the bill now that the 48th parliament has commenced.