Andrew Madden
Today at 13:00
The Assembly has passed a motion calling on the Government to introduce legislation lowering the voting age in Northern Ireland to 16, despite opposition from the DUP.
It’s the second such motion to pass in the Assembly, after MLAs voted in favour of lowering the voting age here back in 2012.
Sinn Fein tabled a motion urging the Government to introduce legislation to make the change here.
Those aged 16 in Scotland and Wales are already able to vote in council and their devolved parliamentary elections.
Sinn Fein’s Danny Baker said making the change would create a “more engaged, more diverse and more vocal” electorate and argued that, given 16-year-olds are able to work and pay taxes, they should also be able to vote.
“The notion that they are not mature enough to play a role in the democratic process is nonsense,” he added.
Mr Baker said evidence suggests 16 and 17-year-olds have a higher voting turnout in jurisdictions where they are able to cast their ballot compared to those aged 18 to 24.
The Alliance Party’s Sian Mullholland tabled an amendment to the Sinn Fein motion adding that the curriculum should be changed to include lessons on civic education and the voting process, which would “foster critical thinking and understanding of the issues that affect society”.
Ms Mullholland said the 2012 debate on the issue in the Assembly was largely speculative as there were not enough examples of countries with a lower voting age, but in the last decade or so that has “changed significantly” and the evidence in favour is largely positive.
The DUP’s Brian Kingston said they don’t support lowering the voting age, pointing out that you have to be 18 to serve on a jury, watch certain movies and buy alcohol.
“Of course young people grow and mature into adulthood over a number of years, but there has to be an age where they legally become adults,” he said.
Mr Kingston said one serious concern is that, if the voting age was lowered, it would “put schools on the front line of political campaigning” and there would be a temptation for some teachers to “become political campaigners”.
The DUP MLA also raised concerns about political advertising young people would potentially have to face.
“The focus should be on children making their mark without placing obligations on their shoulders,” he added.
“Let children enjoy their childhood without taking on all the pressures of adulthood.”
TUV MLA Timothy Gaston opposed the motion, arguing that the voting age being 18 is in line with international practice and you have to be 18 to sign a legalling-binding contract.
He also said Sinn Fein is “in no position to be lecturing anyone on democracy”, referencing IRA attacks on the day of the 1973 Northern Ireland border poll.
The UUP’s Robbie Butler said his party supports lowering the voting age to 16.
“It's time to entrust them with the vote like we do with so many other things in their lives,” he said.
“The voices of our young people, particularly 16 and 17-year olds, are growing louder. They are more informed and passionate than they have ever been.”
Mr Butler branded the idea that young people lack the maturity to vote as “outdated and baseless”. He also mentioned that the age of criminal responsibility in NI is 10.
The SDLP’s Sinead McLaughlin said Stormont should go further and ask for the power to lower the voting age be devolved to the Assembly.
Following the debate, both the original motion and the Alliance amendment were passed.
by pickneyboy3000
17 comments
” You’re old enough to kill,
but not for votin’ “
Never been fair that 16 year olds can’t vote for their own future, but someone in their 90s that has a more-likely-than-not chance they won’t live to see the next election, can. And I don’t buy the “they don’t understand politics” shtick because most adults don’t know what the fuck they’re doing either, so it’s hardly a barrier for entry.
Obviously the DUP oppose this because their core voter base are geriatric aul dinosaurs so it won’t benefit them
DU who?
The party for and by troglodytes against providing voting rights to one of the most progressive generations in history. Colour me surprised.
And is voting age a devolved matter? No? Then this is a waste of time.
Anyone who will be affected by taxation, conscription etc within the lifetime of the government should be allowed to vote.
DUP would rather have bigoted, rotting 100 year old corpses voting than this. The youth have revolted.
If I were Robinson I’d try and block this too. The DUP vote is only strong with young people in areas where the DUP are already easily winning.
Young people are much more progressive or, worse for him – from a nationalist background – in more marginal seats.
The real test of leadership now will be whether or not he takes the opportunity – now that the border anger has died down, and can be blamed on his predecessor – to appeal to the youth vote.
My bet would be on him running for cover at the first mention of the “L” word, but hey, maybe he takes us all by surprise and pulls a full Paisley style 180?
This months “whataboutery” award surely has to go to our man in the TUV who whatabouted an event that occurred before half the MLAs were even born.
> The UUP’s Robbie Butler said his party supports lowering the voting age to 16.
Slightly shocked that the UUP are in favour of this.
Then I remembered they are a sad irrelevance.
Incredible sleight on the teaching profession from Brian Kingston who apparently believes teachers would start telling kids who to vote for.
Absolutely zero respect shown for the professional integrity of staff.
Wow I wonder why DUP would be against this 😒
Considering the far right parties across Europe are the favourite of the youth, this will definitely go the way they want.
I’m sure these people (who by the way are wholesale believers in the “right side of history” fallacy and think every young person is the same type of idealist as them) will be shocked that young people are far more open to extremism than adults.
As a general rule, anything the DUP are against is worth supporting
Of course the dup are against it, it’s in their dna to be against everything and to have the wrong take, dup says NO
To be fair at 16 I was drinking white lightning and fingering girls at the park. I wouldn’t have trusted myself to vote
The DUP: “Can’t have those well-read youngins upturning the status quo, now can we?”