The McGuinness Institute is exploring whether New Zealand
should allow 15- and 16-year-olds to apply for registration
with the Electoral Commission in preparation for future
elections, enabling them to be automatically enrolled once
they reach 18 years of age. Under the Electoral Act 1993,
New Zealanders must be 17 years of age to apply to the
Electoral Commission to pre register. The Institute is
interested in whether extending this opportunity to 15- and
16-year-olds could strengthen civic engagement and improve
electoral participation among young people.
According
to Electoral Commission Board Chair Simon Moore,
approximately 440,000 eligible people are currently
unenrolled, around 200,000 of whom are under
25.
‘Too many young people are failing to enrol to
vote,’ says Wendy McGuinness, Chief Executive of the
McGuinness Institute. ‘It’s time we examined practical
ways to improve future enrolment and electoral participation
among young New Zealanders.’
The proposal does
not involve changing the voting age.
Rather, it focuses on enabling younger New Zealanders to
begin their electoral journey earlier by joining what the
Institute calls a ‘pre registration roll’ before
becoming eligible to vote.
‘From women’s suffrage
to lowering the voting age, New Zealand’s electoral history
reflects an ongoing commitment to strengthening democratic
participation and preparing citizens for civic
responsibility. Exploring earlier registration is consistent
with this tradition,’ says McGuinness.
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‘Allowing
15- and 16-year-olds to apply for registration with the
Electoral Commission could be a practical, cost-effective
way to improve future voter participation while helping
young people better understand their rights and
responsibilities as citizens.’
Young adults often
encounter circumstances that can make electoral
participation challenging, including residential mobility,
study or employment commitments, time overseas and transport
constraints. By comparison, many 15- and 16-year-olds have
stable living arrangements and remain engaged in formal
education, creating valuable opportunities to build civic
knowledge and support pre-enrolment before they become
eligible to vote.
The Institute believes there are
several potential benefits from lowering the
pre-registration age:
• Increasing voter readiness
ahead of the 2029 general election.
• Supporting
civics and citizenship education within secondary schools
through practical participation in the democratic process
(e.g. bringing Electoral Commission pre registration centres
to schools).
• Encouraging discussion about
elections, public policy and civic responsibilities within
families, iwi and other communities.
• Helping young
people become more informed about public policy, political
leadership and democratic decision-making before they are
eligible to vote.
• Strengthening future civic
participation and community engagement.
• Aligning
New Zealand with international trends aimed at increasing
youth engagement in democracy.
• Improving the
Electoral Commission’s ability to maintain contact with
young people as they transition from school into further
education, employment and/or independent living.
The
Institute has written to the Electoral Commission seeking
advice on the practical implications, benefits, costs and
legislative requirements associated with lowering the age of
applying for registration from 17 to 15 years.
The
Institute has asked the Commission to provide guidance
on:
1. What legislative or administrative changes
would be required to enable 15- and 16-year olds to apply
for pre-registration.
2. Which organisations, agencies
or decision-makers would need to be engaged if such a
proposal were to be progressed.
3. Whether a
referendum would be helpful.
4. Any legal, operational
or policy barriers that currently prevent such a
change.
5. The likely costs associated with
extending pre-registration to 15- and
16-year-olds.
6. Whether an amendment to section
82 of the Electoral Act 1993 would be sufficient to
implement the proposal.
7. Whether the proposal could
be implemented without an amendment to the Electoral Act. We
consider this proposal could be implemented as part of the
legal objective and responsibilities set out in the Act, to
facilitate ‘participation in parliamentary
democracy’.
About the McGuinness
Institute
The McGuinness Institute is an independent
non-partisan think tank applying hindsight, insight and
foresight to explore major challenges and opportunities
facing New Zealand over the long
term.
