We asked Rotorua Daily Post Facebook readers whether they thought the voting age should be lowered to 16.
- Yes and politics should be a compulsory subject at high school so everyone understands the importance of voting. - No. And put the drinking age up while you're at it. - No, wecan't even get the current voters to vote. - No, 16 is too young. There first needs to be more education around politics and the political system. At age 16, they will be influenced more from their parents and who they vote for without making a judgment based on their own understanding of parties and what they stand for. It's like giving them a driving licence without first sitting the theory test ... We need to incorporate this sort of stuff into our education system. - No, they do not have the life experience to vote. - Adults can't even make good decisions to vote! Actually I think I'd trust a bunch of teens in education to vote more than an adult who left school at 15. - No way, 16-year-olds are still kids! - My son is a mature individual who holds a job but there is no way he is ready to make an informed or uninformed decision about politics. Let our children be children first! - No. Try working on getting all 18-year-olds and up to vote first! - Of course they should be able to vote. The youngest voters have to deal with the decisions of the day for far longer than those who are older. If we can trust a 16-year-old to drive a V8 down the motorway, then surely we can trust them to vote for who they think is best to represent their concerns in government? - I'd rather see more focus on getting the existing population who are eligible to vote using their rights effectively.
