One of British Columbia’s youngest councillors is hoping his peers will endorse a campaign to reduce the voting age to 16 in British Columbia.
Vote16BC is a grassroots campaign that is gaining momentum across the province, according to Saanich Coun. Ned Taylor, who was inspired to create a motion to bring to an upcoming council meeting.
Having taken an interest in politics at an early age, and first elected in 2018 as a teen, the 22-year-old Taylor said it only makes sense to reduce the age to 16, since young people are the future and the future is at stake.
“I’ve supported lowering the voting age to 16 since before I was that age – youth are the ones who are going to be experiencing the impact of current decisions in the long-term,” he said.
Young people are more involved and informed than ever, he added, and for this reason they deserve the right to vote.
Studies show that the younger a person is when they cast their first ballot, the longer they’ll remain an active voter throughout their lifetime, Taylor said.
“I’m optimistic that we will get a strong showing of support.”
To view the Vote16BC campaign visit dogwoodbc.ca/lower-bc-voting-age/.
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