What’s the point?
- a booklet on the right to vote for 16-year-olds
From the Ombudsman for Children, Norway
There’s no law against trying
by Reidar Hjermann, Ombudsman for Children
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16-year-olds can have children, be put in prison and
are liable to pay tax. Despite this, they are barred
from participating in making the all-important decisions that influence our society. Is this due to the
fact that they are lacking in life experience, that they
are not sufficiently engaged and perhaps even naive
and ignorant? Or could it be the case that we adults
are resistant to opening up democratic decisionmaking to new groups because this type of change
makes us uneasy - an unease perhaps comparable
to that experienced in 1970 by a majority of Swiss
women who believed it would be unnatural for them
to be given the right to vote?
home towns will change if young people are given access
to the ballot box. Today, the average age of first-time
voters at local elections is 20. Many young people have
moved away from home by the time they are eligible
to vote at local elections. Some of them never return
home. In their capacity as hometown youth, they take
with them their experience and skills and the community
takes shape without their input. Consequently, we are
left with a society formed according to an adult template, and lacking in the distinctive qualities the youthvote would have provided. If we give young people
genuine democratic influence, local politicians will be
forced to take them more seriously.
By the time they turn 16, young people have completed their compulsory schooling. The same year,
it should be possible therefore to empower them
to make democratic choices in the communities in
which they live. For this reason, we would like to roll
out pilot projects as part of the municipal and county
elections in 2011 at which 16 and 17-year-olds
would be invited to vote.
There is reason to believe that the characteristics of
A proportion of today’s 12 and 13-year-olds should be
informed that they will be given the chance to take part
in an important pilot project during the 2011 election.
We may well witness a political awakening in young people if they realise the advantages of participation. This
booklet presents several, solid arguments that the time
is right to make room for a new group in the democratic
circle. Let our young people in!
The Right to Vote for 16-year-olds
- is it possible?
It is of course possible to reduce the voting age. It
has been done many times before; most recently in
1978 when all 18-year-olds were given the right to
vote for the first time.
In order to change the voting age, the Constitution has
to be amended. A majority of two-thirds is needed over
two parliamentary sessions. In other words, change will
not take place overnight.
The voting age has been reduced four times since
1920. Each occasion produced a high level of debate
between politicians and divided opinions the length
and breadth of the country.
The Ombudsman for Children believes that pilot projects
giving 16-year-olds the right to vote should be rolled out
during municipal and county elections in 2011. We have
enough knowledge to give it a try. This booklet presents
some of the arguments for why we believe this is the
only way to go.
2011?
1920
1946
1967
1978
Voting age: 25 years
Voting age: 21 years
Voting age: 20 years
Voting age: 18 years
Voting age: 16 years
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What does the law say?
The right to vote grants eligibility to cast a vote in
a political election. This can, for instance, apply to
a parliamentary election or municipal and county
elections. In Norway, the right to vote at municipal
elections is granted to Norwegian citizens who have
reached 18 years of age or who will turn 18 in the
course of the election year, and to residents who
meet the aforementioned age requirements and
have lived in Norway for more than three years.
This also applies to eligibility to hold office. In other
words, those under 18 years of age may be elected
to their local council or to Parliament. On a national
scale, the 2003 municipal and county election saw
the election of 68 candidates under the age of 18.
Article 12 of the Convention on the Rights of the
Child gives all those under the age of 18 the right
to voice their opinion and the right to be heard. This
right can also be found in several pieces of legislation, including but not limited to the Children Act.
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The right to vote for 16-year-olds also implies that
we acknowledge the right set down in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and take our young
people’s unique sets of skills seriously.
In Norway, municipalities can apply to the Government for permission to implement a pilot project
conferring the right to vote for 16-year-olds. A
constitutional amendment is not required. Can you
convince your municipality to apply? You can read
more about what you can do to make a difference
on the second to last page of this booklet.
Did you know that…
... among citizens over 18 years of age, only
the King does not have the right to vote. The
other members of the royal family have the
right to vote, but traditionally do not use this
right.
Are 16-year-olds mature?
16 and 17-year-olds are capable of making
rational choices and get involved in issues
that are important to them. They are mature
enough. .
It is the politicians’ message that must change,
not our young people’s level of involvement. Young
people care about issues that are important to them.
This is also true of other age-groups. As things
stand, politicians do not have to take young people
into consideration to any significant degree in order
to succeed in an election. This makes it all too easy
after the fact to lay the blame on apathetic young
people.
Some may claim that 16 and 17-year-olds do not
have the maturity or experience which should be expected of a voter. It is therefore somewhat paradoxical that we are categorised as tax-payers between
the ages of 16 and 67; 16-year-olds are obligated to
understand and adhere to national laws; they have
the right to drive a vehicle on public roads; they can
choose their own political and religious views; they
have the right to have sexual intercourse and abortion
without parental consent and can be elected at municipal
and county elections. Today, 15-year-olds can be arrested, held in custody and imprisoned, subject to legislation
they played no part in deciding.
The immaturity argument is nothing new. It has been
used as a counter-argument every time new groups
have been granted the right to vote. However, in 1978,
the year Parliament reduced the voting age to 18 years
of age, the following appeared in a committee proposal: ”Young people’s interest in politics and insight
into societal issues has increased, the education system
has greatly expanded, and a lowering of the voting age
would enable further development in the right direction
in terms of raising interest in societal issues.”
Our education system has improved since 1978, children
begin their schooling earlier and young people are more
knowledgeable about society than in previous years.
The “YOUNG in Norway” report from 2002 also shows
that a greater proportion of young people today have
participated in political activities when compared to the
average for adults. 16-year-olds are mature enough!
Democracy has to be learned
Democracy should be learned at school. The
right to vote for 16-year-olds makes demands
of the school as an institution of knowledge.
We have ten years of compulsory schooling. Schooling is supposed to equip us with the skills necessary
to live and participate actively in the society we
have helped to build – and to vote for those who will
govern it.
The right to vote rests on the democratic principle
that those affected by political decisions have the
right to influence those decisions. This does not
mean that 5-year-olds should be given the right
to vote so that they can have a say in deciding the
school curriculum. One must first learn how a democracy is supposed to function; this is a precondition for participation in it.
All 16 and 17-year-olds can obtain information about
politics, parties and elections through their school.
For the majority of first-time voters, the election will
take place during the autumn after they finish lower
secondary school. To be granted the right to vote
upon completion of ten years of schooling is perhaps
also an appropriate rite of passage.
There is a great deal of evidence to suggest that
lowering the voting age will contribute to increased
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voter participation and democratic recruitment among
young people. This is one reason why the Prime Minister
of the United Kingdom, Gordon Brown, is also currently
considering granting 16-year-olds the right to vote.
Current school elections are closely monitored by politicians since the result often gives a foretaste of the final
election result. The voting behaviour of young students
is not significantly different from that of the rest of the
current population – is there then reason to believe that
the picture will be different if more intensive education in
democracy is given to tomorrow’s young students?
If lower secondary schooling does not equip young people
to choose their local politicians, then it is not the young
people who are at fault, but the school.
Did you know that...
...16 and 17-year-olds in parts of Germany have
the right to vote in local elections. They vote
more often than traditional first-time voters (18
plus). Information is easily passed on to 16 and
17-year-olds through their school, while older
first-time voters are often left to their own devices
with their newly acquired right to vote.
Experts in local issues
The right to vote for 16-year-olds makes for
good local politics. Young people are experts in
local issues.
Today the average age of first-time voters is 20. Given
that there are municipal and county elections every
four years, and because many have moved from their
home municipalities when elections take place, many
young voters do not manage to keep track of local
politics. Consequently they receive less attention from
local politicians.
18 to 20-year-olds are no longer aware that there
is a water shortage in the swimming pool, that the
promised cycle path is not being constructed, that
the youth centre is falling apart or the bus service
suspended.
16 and 17-year-olds on the other hand know very well
when there is a lack of stadiums, sports grounds and
health services. They also know what services are
suitable to them and how they should be offered. In
other words, 16-year-olds hold the key to the smooth
functioning of their local community.
while in others, it’s a case of “playing at politics”. Where
it is not done well, the ensuing feeling of powerlessness
will, in many cases, result in young people becoming less
and less involved in local politics.
In addition to this, if young people are given the chance
to positively experience contributing to their local environment before they move - a taste of genuine influence
– the likelihood that they will move back with their family
will of course be greater. Solid local communities are dependent on drawing young people into the decision-making process. Implementing an active policy for children
and young people is one of the most important steps in
counteracting the depopulation of communities.
Did you know that...
...municipalities are not obliged to have Youth
Councils. In some places, young people stand a
good chance of persuading politicians to spend
money on a skatepark, while in others, there
is simply no way to make your voice heard. Is
that fair? The level of influence held by children
and young people in Norway varies greatly.
Many municipalities and counties have Youth Councils,
but their functionality varies greatly. In some places
the Councils have a strong influence on politicians,
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It works elsewhere
Austria has introduced the right to vote for
16-year-olds. Five German states have followed
suite.
Denmark, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Switzerland are currently debating the right to vote for
16-year-olds. Australia, New Zealand, the USA and
Canada are also in the process of considering the
right to vote for 16-year-olds at local elections.
16-year-olds have been eligible to vote at state elections in five German states since 1996. Prior to the
election, young and old alike held generally negative
attitudes. The fear was that voter turnout would be
even lower. The result was quite different.
The German experience indicates that voter participation among 16 and 17-year-olds was higher than
that of traditional first-time voters; and higher too
than among voters up to the age of 35. The party
choices made by this new group of voters did not
otherwise differ from those made by the rest of the
population.
These elections also showed that political parties
were actively focusing on adjusting their election
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campaign strategies in order to reach the youngest
group of voters. German 16-year-olds also experienced
being taken more seriously by politicians, which resulted
in several of them pursuing political influence on a national level.
That schools are able to pass on information to young
people is seen as a key explanation for this positive
tendency. Young people being given the opportunity to
participate in their first election while still in a learning
environment is also one of the reasons why more and
more European countries regard the right to vote for
16-year-olds as key to increasing overall voter participation.
Did you know that...
...the UK government, led by Prime Minister
Gordon Brown, is considering reducing the
voting age to 16?
We depend on young peoples’ expertise
By granting 16-year-olds the right to vote we
would force society to provide better services
to young people.
Society at large is supposed to offer services to all.
Young people have an insight into what it means to
be young that adults cannot possess.
Young people are autonomous recipients of public
services in contrast to children. From 15 years of age
many young people develop a new set of requirements and become less dependent on their parents.
Young people make use of public transport, leisure
clubs and sports facilities where they are available.
They also have a greater need for anonymous health
services.
There will be serious consequences if we don’t take
this age-group seriously. Negative subcultures have
been created in the past through unsuccessful youth
services. It’s time we learned from that.
people between the ages of 16 and 18. After all, they
are powerless so politicians can focus their attention
on other issues, with the justification that “they’ll be 18
soon anyway”.
Young people are part of the solution not part of the
problem. Their skills form an important, but underused
part of our community. Simply put, the services that a
society has a duty to develop for its children and young
people are best shaped through genuine influence on the
part of the end-users of these services.
Did you know that...
... when the municipality of Vågå hired a new
Youth Adviser, young people interviewed the
candidates and decided who would get the job?
It is all too easy for politicians to overlook young
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The democratic imbalance
Soon there will be almost twice as many old
people in Norway as young people. This will have
political ramifications and affect every-day life.
The population of Norway, as in the rest of the Western
world, is steadily ageing. Young people will therefore
have to shoulder more responsibility for our welfare
state.
The situation is compelling more and more countries to
think about how they can draw increasing numbers of
young people into the development of society. It is also
the main reason that Austria - the first European country to do so - has reduced its voting age to 16 years.
Young people must therefore take on more responsibility, although they are perhaps currently the group that
participates the least in the political process. It is urgent
therefore that we recruit more young people to political
decision-making processes, before a large and undoubtedly powerful group of older people win a substantial
part of the votes.
As this booklet has shown, there is every reason to believe that, given the chance, many 16 and 17-year-olds
would see voting as something worthwhile. Results from
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other countries even indicate that these 16 and 17-yearolds, due to the fact that they are followed up, are more
active at the ballot box than 18-year-olds.
Research shows that the older we get, the more likely we
are to use our vote, since voting is something that is learned
over time. A lower voting age will therefore contribute to
reducing the average age of first-time voters.
Gaining experience of the voting process early on may turn
out to be a decisive factor in achieving a democratic equilibrium. It is vital that those under the age of 18 are also given
the vote.
Did you know that...
…European studies show that over the course of
the next few decades the 65-79 age group will
expand by 45%, while the over-80 age group
will expand by 172%! At the same time, by 2050
there will be around 25% fewer young people in
the 15-25 age group in Europe than there are
today.
What now?
The Ombudsman for Children will continue to keep the pressure up and promote the advantages of a pilot
project that gives 16-year-olds the right to vote. We can do it – with your help!
Keep the debate alive! Here are some suggestions
for what you can do:
Write to your local newspaper. If you’re under 18, write
about why you think the voting age should be lowered.
If you’re over 18, talk about why it’s important to listen
to young people.
Ask your teacher to address the subject of voting age
during class and make sure you get to put together
your own project on this theme. Get involved in your
Student and Youth Councils and discuss the subject
with family and friends.
Get involved in organisations and political parties, organise activities in your local community, write to local
politicians and to your parliamentary representative.
He/she would like to hear from you.
Start nagging your municipal politicians! Make sure that
the Municipal Board addresses the issue through an
inhabitant’s initiative. Take part in public meetings and
design campaigns.
You can read more about the right to vote for 16-yearolds on the Ombudsman for Children’s website, where
you can also download this booklet and find more background information on the subject.
Read more on www.barneombudet.no/stemmerett
Did you know that...
...you can decide what the municipality has to do?
It’s called an inhabitants’ initiative. If you collect
300 signatures, or signatures from 2% of inhabitants, then the municipality MUST address the issue
you have brought before them. The best thing
about this is that there is no age-limit in an inhabitants’ initiative!
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- 6 good reasons..
.. to give the right to vote for 16-year-olds a try at the
municipal and county elections:
16 and 17-year-olds are capable of making rational choices
and are involved in issues that are important to them. They
are mature enough.
Democracy should be learned at school. The right to vote
should form part of the curriculum.
The right to vote for 16-year-olds makes for good local politics. Young people are experts on local issues.
It works elsewhere; experiences from Austria and Germany
have been positive.
Granting 16-year-olds the right to vote would force society to
provide better youth services.
An ageing society compels young people to take responsibility
for maintaining the democratic equilibrium.
Hammersborg torg 1
PB. 8889 Youngstorget
0028 Oslo
Phone: 22 99 39 50
Fax: 22 99 39 70
E-mail: [email protected]
www.barneombudet.no