The Legitimacy of Disenfranchising Children

Abstract

This paper provides a critical analysis of the minimum voting age under the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 and the Electoral Act 1993. It address the question whether the minimum voting age is a reasonable restriction of the right to vote and the right to equality as protected in international human rights law. Furthermore, the paper deals with alternative voting strategies that might replace the current voting age of 18 years, namely the lowering of the voting age and a parental proxy voting scheme