New Zealand group wanting voting age set at 16 wins in court

By NICK PERRY
Associated Press

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A lobby group seeking to lower New Zealand’s voting age from 18 to 16 has won its appeal to the Supreme Court, which says the current law amounts to age discrimination. The nature of the court’s ruling Monday doesn’t mandate a change in the voting age. It only compels lawmakers to debate the issue. Proponents of lowering the voting age acknowledge they don’t have the required 75% supermajority of lawmakers to make it happen. They are hopeful they can start with changing the voting age for local elections. Some countries that set their voting age at 16 include Austria, Malta, Brazil, Cuba and Ecuador.