Wellington: New Zealand moves to raise the minimum voting age to 16. The country had taken such a step after the Supreme Court demanded that the issue be discussed in Parliament. It can only be legislated to lower the age if it has the support of 75 per cent of MPs.
Prime Minister Jacinta Ardern said that she is in favor, but that it is not possible to legislate in her or the government’s interest alone and that the opposition should cooperate as well. Teenagers are campaigning for the right to vote at the age of 16. The opposition has not objected to this. In countries such as Austria, Brazil and Cuba, 16-year-olds have the right to vote.
