This submission is ARACY’s response to the proposed Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Lowering Voting Age and Increasing Voter Participation) Bill 2018.
The decision on whether to lower the voting age in Australian to 16 can be considered on both
ethical and empirical grounds. The major ethical considerations are clear; when considered from a
human rights perspective, citizens under the age of 18 have a rights to be listened to and involved in
decisions that affect them. Empirically, commonly cited considerations include participation and political
engagement of young people, as well as whether young people have the knowledge and capacity to
vote. The evidence around these issues is inconclusive. The submission evaluated the evidence
around lowering the voting age, explored the ethical considerations of this issue, and provided
recommendations for action.