Alliance Cllr Joy Ferguson for Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon district
Image source: https://www.allianceparty.org/our_councillors
According to Joy Fergusson, an Alliance councillor for the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon District Area “providing the opportunity to vote earlier in life is essential and will only encourage good habits when it comes to participating in the political process throughout the rest of people’s lives.”
This comes after it was revealed by The Electoral Commission that young people in Northern Ireland are less engaged in politics compared to their counterparts in the UK.
The research shows that the understanding of the word “democracy” is notably lower in Northern Ireland, with one in three young people unsure of its meaning. The knowledge of the Northern Ireland Assembly is also particularly low among the 18- to 20 age group. The Electoral Commission stated that with “the UK Government committed to lowering the voting age to 16, it is more important than ever to ensure young people understand democracy and how they can play an active role in it.”
In September 2024, the Northern Ireland Assembly passed a motion aiming to lower the voting age to 16 with Sinn Fein, the SDLP and the UUP all favouring the motion along with the Alliance party. Alliance MLA, Sain Mulholland proposed an amendment to the motion however, this change can only be implemented by Westminster as the Northern Ireland Assembly do not have the devolved legislative powers to do so.
Ferguson stressed the importance for the voting age to be lowered and pointed out all the things 16 year olds already have the ability to do “At 16 years old, you are legally able to seek employment and pay taxes, leave school, open a bank account, get married or enter a civil partnership, and enlist in the armed forces, as well as participate in many other aspects of public life and make use of services that are directly impacted by government policy”.
This stands in stark contrast to the views of the Traditional Unionist Party and the Democratic Unionist Party who both reject the proposed change to the voting system. During the assembly debates DUP MLA Brian Kingston’s main argument was how 16-year-olds are not adults “voting rights are reserved for adulthood”. Kingston also mentioned how there are already many pressures on young people in terms of mental health, and expressed his concerns over how schools in Northern Ireland may bring about political campaigning.
Despite this opposition Ferguson stands behind Alliance summing up that “Alliance is unwavering in its support for votes at 16, and we will continue to fight for the rights as we have always done especially for our young people to fully participate in the democratic process.” She added to this saying “those who can, should… it is important that all young people exercise their right to vote to create change in Northern Ireland”
The charity Politics in Action and the Northern Ireland Youth forum take a similar stance by welcoming the votes at 16 debates. According to the Northern Ireland Youth Forum’s website they have been “lobbying to lower the voting age for the past seven years” with members of the youth forum being “frustrated by the amount of progress, arguing strongly that young people are interested in issues that affect them and the rest of society and should not be excluded from the democratic process” When asked when might we see the change to the voting system Ferguson responded that “It will take time, careful planning and collaboration.”
Joy Ferguson furthermore described how “Northern Ireland is actually the only devolved nation in the UK who have not lowered the voting age” and “Northern Ireland legislation should be in line with that off Scotland and Wales” in terms of the voting age. In addition. There are even more countries across the world where 16-year-olds can vote such as Brazil, Austria and Ecuador with various campaigns all over the world striving for this change. The alliance party remains in strong support for the involvement of young people in politics and continues to have lowering the voting age as a vital aim of the party’s manifesto as Ferguson sums up. “You should also be able to afford the right to vote on those policies, and the political figures deciding them.”
For more information please visit:
https://niyf.org/northern-ireland-youth-forum/votes-at-16
https://www.allianceparty.org/
Sinéad Kelly
Student journalist UUC