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<b>LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY</b> - Signing ePetition

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY - Signing ePetition - Lower the Voting Age to 16

To sign the ePetition, confirm you are a resident of New South Wales and enter your title, first name and last name. Once you click ‘submit’ you will have signed the ePetition and will be re-directed to the Legislative Assembly’s ‘ePetitions open for signature’ page

Lower the Voting Age to 16

To the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly, We, the petitioners, draw the attention of the Legislative Assembly to the need to strengthen our democracy by expanding voting rights in NSW to 16 and 17 year olds. Young people in NSW want a say in their future. Every voice deserves to be heard in the NSW electoral system. Voting is about people from different experiences coming together to create an accurate representation of the NSW community. Extending voting rights to 16 and 17 year olds will strengthen democracy, increase voter enrolment and turnout, and lead to higher political participation, helping the NSW Government make better informed policy decisions. 16 year olds can already legally undertake a lot of ‘adult’ actions. 16 and 17 year olds can drive, consent to sex and medical procedures, leave school or home, pay rent, join the armed forces, and work full time. There is no reason to withhold from them the right to vote. Many other countries, including Austria, Argentina, Brazil, Malta, Scotland, Germany and Wales, have already lowered the voting age to 16. The United Kingdom, New Zealand and Canada may soon follow their lead. Therefore, the undersigned petitioners, ask the Legislative Assembly to call on the Government to amend the Electoral Act 2017 in order to extend the right to vote to 16 and 17 year old citizens of NSW in all future State elections.

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The Parliament of New South Wales acknowledges and respects the traditional lands of all Aboriginal people, and pays respects to all Elders past and present. We acknowledge the Gadigal people as the traditional custodians of the land on which the Parliament of New South Wales stands.