1,000 signatures reached
To: The National and Act Government
Don't let the Make it 16 bill die!
Don’t let the Make it 16 bill die!
The Bill to lower the voting age is at a critical stage! We need everyone to help us ensure rangatahi get their right to vote and have a voice in our democracy.
Earlier this year the Labour Government introduced a Bill to lower the voting age for Local Elections. This followed years of mahi from rangatahi across the motu, as well as tautoko from the Review into the Future of Local Government; the Justice Select Committee; the Independent Electoral Law Review; 72 individual Local Government Elected Members who signed an open letter; six of Aotearoa’s largest councils (including Christchurch, Wellington, and Dunedin), more than 7400 New Zealanders who signed our petition; and the Government’s basic human rights obligations, as declared by the Supreme Court.
This Bill is crucial to ensure respect for the human rights of rangatahi.
The Bill has passed its first reading in Parliament, but in order to ensure it is able to continue and eventually be made tūturu, we need to make sure it goes to second reading.
This petition calls on the incoming National-led Government to return this Bill to Parliament for a second reading and vote in its favour. In other words, don’t drop the Bill and don’t vote against it.
Why is this important?
16 and 17 year olds are just as impacted by local political decisions as those over 18 and we will inherit the future kawekawe of those decisions. Public transport, infrastructure, community development, and a vast list of other local government issues will continue to affect us and future generations of young people. Despite the effects politics has, and will have, on us, we have no democratic say in their solutions.
We are on the brink of making history, but we need your help! Every signature is a step towards a more inclusive democracy.
Rangatahi are ready, willing, and capable to vote. We demonstrate this time and time again. It is time for our voices to be heard at local government elections.
Sign our petition to bring the Bill to second reading and urge the incoming government to vote for rangatahi human rights.
Don’t kill the Bill.