Greens push for under-18s to get the vote in NSW

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The NSW Greens have put forward legislation that would see residents as young as 16 given the right to vote in the state.

MP Abigail Boyd has put forward a bill that would lower the voting age to include anybody over 16.

However, voting for those aged under 18 would not be compulsory and they would face no penalty for not casting a ballot.

Would you support lowering the voting age to 16?

The bill would also allow people over the age of 14 to enrol with the electoral commission.

“There is a massive amount of political engagement and desire for change from young people, as youth led activist movements have shown us around the world and in Australia,” Boyd said.

“Young people in NSW already work and pay taxes. We accept they’re old enough to open a bank account, learn to drive, have sex – they can even be criminally charged as an adult and go to prison.

“It’s time they were empowered to exercise their voice in our democracy too.”

She said the major parties were focused on “what young people will grow up to become”.

A voter casts their ballot — The NSW Greens are proposing 16- and 17-year-olds be granted the right to vote. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

“What gets overlooked is that young people have something important to say right now – they offer society a fresh vision and ideas, they push us to do things in a better way,” Boyd said.

“When we give 16 and 17 year olds the right to vote, we not only recognise that young people have something valuable to say, we also provide an incentive for political parties to listen and engage with their ideas.”

She called for the bill to become law ahead of next year’s state election.

However, the likelihood of success is slim, with neither the incumbent Coalition government nor the Labor opposition having indicated they are likely to support it.