Could Letting 16-Year-Olds Vote Improve Youth Health?
Lowering the voting age to 16 would improve the health and well-being of young people, the Medical Journal of Australia (MJA) has proposed.
Independent MP Monique Ryan stood alongside youth advocates and medical professionals in Parliament House in Canberra on Wednesday, throwing her support behind lowering Australia’s voting age from 18.
“The young people of Australia are dealing with a climate crisis, a housing crisis, a cost of living crisis, and with a HECS crisis,” she said.
“It would give young people who often feel disenfranchised … a voice at the table in a way that they do not have right now.”
Participation in democracy is the key focus of the Future Healthy Countdown 2030, published in the MJA on Monday.
It has identified eight policy items to help address the multiple challenges that young people face, from mental health struggles, poverty and a lack of equitable education to inaction on climate change.
It argues that political participation at various ages before 25 is critical to health: “fostering social inclusion, empowerment and equity, which are essential for mental and physical wellbeing”.
Ryan, a former paediatric neurologist, said young people have both the mental and emotional maturity to make a decision about who should govern them.
What Countries Allow Voting Under the Age of 18?
If Australia was to change its voting age, it would not be alone.
In 2007, Austria was the first country in Europe to lower its voting age below 18.
In the past decade Greece, Scotland and Wales have followed suit.
Meanwhile, both Belgium and Germany temporarily dropped the voting age to 16 to allow young people to cast their votes for the first time in June’s European Union parliamentary elections.
UK prime minister Keir Starmer made lowering the age part of Labour’s manifesto a few months ago, although he recently admitted the changes would not be implemented before next year’s election.
Amelia Condon-Cernovs, 16, said these countries are proof that Australia is “falling behind”.
The year 11 student is part of the Make it 16 campaign and argues people her age already have “a lot of the same responsibilities as adults”.
“We can work and we’re taxed. We can also join the military, we can consent to medical procedures and we can also be criminally convicted in some states and territories,” she said on Wednesday.
“If young people can be sent to prison for their actions, they can also participate in democracy too.”
She said lowering the age while students were at school would allow them to be guided through the process so that they could vote for policies that mattered to them.
“I think it’s time for politicians to truly listen to young people, not just say they’re listening, but actually prove that they care and lower the voting age to 16.”
Expert Insights on Lowering the Voting Age
- Dr. Monique Ryan, a former paediatric neurologist, believes that young people have the mental and emotional maturity to participate in the democratic process.
- Amelia Condon-Cernovs, a 16-year-old advocate for lowering the voting age, argues that young people already have significant responsibilities and should have a say in governance.
Data on Voting Age Policies Across Countries
- Austria was the first country in Europe to lower its voting age below 18 in 2007.
- In the past decade, Greece, Scotland, and Wales have also lowered their voting age to 16.
- Belgium and Germany temporarily dropped the voting age to 16 for the European Union parliamentary elections.
Conclusion
Lowering the voting age to 16 is a topic of debate in many countries, with proponents arguing that young people have the maturity and responsibilities to participate in democracy. By giving young people a voice in governance, it could lead to better health outcomes and a more inclusive society.
FAQs
- What is the main argument for lowering the voting age to 16?
- Which countries have already lowered their voting age below 18?
- How can lowering the voting age impact youth health and well-being?