Newsdesk

SIXTEEN YEAR OLDS "COULD BE VOTING AT NEXT GENERAL ELECTION"

25th July 2003

East Kent Green Party believes the votes at 16 consultation, which runs to the end of October, could help tackle voter apathy. The Government is conducting a consultation on whether or not to reduce the voting age. East Kent Green Party is urging head teachers of secondary schools to encourage school students to participate in the consultation when they return to school in the autumn. Hazel Dawe comments:

"We could see 16 and 17 year olds(1) voting at the next general election. This is a great opportunity to help tackle political apathy by encouraging younger people to feel involved in our democracy. Voter apathy has many causes, not least disillusionment with the three old political parties, but reducing the voting age to 16 will help capture their enthusiasm. Many 16 to 17 year olds are interested in single issues - such as Fair Trade, animal rights, the recent war in Iraq, but currently have no way of expressing those interests through the democratic process.

"Young people at 16 can work, pay tax and national insurance, get married, have children and yet cannot vote in the UK. Other countries across the world allow people to vote at 16. In Europe Bosnia and Vienna have a voting age of 16, and parts of Germany and Austria allow 16 year olds to vote in some elections (2). The minimum voting age is 17 in East Timor, Indonesia, North Korea, the Seychelles and the Sudan, and in Iran it is 15 (3)."

ENDS C259 WORDS
FURTHER INFORMATION: Hazel Dawe, Campaigns Officer, East Kent Green Party on 01233 645167 or 07960 956272. Hazel is a Senior Lecturer in Law. Contact address: 10 Hillbrow Road, Ashford, Kent TN23 4QH. Notes:

1. No Government figures are available on the ages of UK councillors but 21 is currently the minimum age at which people can stand for election. 2. Information obtained from the Votes at 16 Campaign, see www.votesat16.org.uk 3. Information obtained from the Electoral Commission, see www.electoralcommission.org.uk

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