Getting your license, celebrating your sweet 16 and voting could all come at the same time.
On Monday, B.C. Green Party leader Andrew Weaver re-introduced the Election Amendment Act 1, which seeks to engage youth in politics through lowering the voting age to 16.
“There is a lot of evidence that shows that if we engage our youth earlier in the political process they are more likely to develop voting as a habit for the rest of their life,” said Weaver. “I’ve been speaking to individuals of all ages since I introduced this bill last Spring. I have heard overwhelming support for lowering the voting age.
“It appears there is a trickle-up effect in civic participation. When youth engage, conversations around the dinner table tend to focus on politics and local issues, which results in a positive impact on voter turnout for the whole family.”
According to Weaver, Austria, Argentina, Brazil, Germany, and parts of the U.K., have extended voting rights to 16-year-olds.
Scotland experimented by lowering the voting age in their independence referendum. The turnout was so good they permanently dropped the voting age to 16 in all Scottish Parliament and local government elections.
Do you think 16-year-olds are ready to vote? Let us know in the comments below.
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