Edmond Campbell, News Coordinator

Government Senator Norman Grant has proposed that the age for voting should be lowered to 16 years to allow young people a voice in the political process at the local government level.

At the same time, the Women's Resource and Outreach Centre is advocating for an equal number of men and women to run as candidates at the local government level.

These recommendations came yesterday at a meeting of the Joint Select Committee on Local Government Reform at Gordon House.

"Look at a model where for every parish council you would have one individual who would be allowed to run for office at age 16 and, by so doing, you would also lower the age of voting," said Senator Grant in a follow-up interview.

Opposition to the move

He argued that when the minimum age for voting was to be lowered from 21 to 18 years, there was opposition to the move and a serious debate followed.

"Let us not put on blinkers. Let us think out of the box," Grant insisted.

In the meantime, Shaniel Walters, a student of Wolmer's Girls' School, who turns 16 on Saturday, said that youngsters should be given the opportunity to vote at that age, arguing that 16-year-olds could become sexually active based on the age of consent stipulated by the State.

"However, you have persons who are not mature enough to make that psychological decision in the whole electoral process," she stated.

Informed decision

Shaniel supported the view that if students were taught about politics, including the electoral process, they would be in a better position to make an informed decision at the age of 16.

For his part, 17-year-old Chris-Anthony Salter of Cornwall College contended that many persons at 16 have a lot to offer to the development of the country.

He told The Gleaner yesterday that young people's views were sometimes ignored because they had no power to influence national decisions.

"When we are eligible to vote now, then we do have a say, we do have power, I think it would be a good idea to give 16-year-olds a chance to vote," he said.

"Not all 16-year-olds would take up the opportunity to vote, but the serious ones who want to have a say in how the country is to be run, they would go ahead, persons like me, for instance, I would definitely want to vote at 16, I would want to vote right now," he added.

A recent Gleaner-commissioned Bill Johnson Poll showed that persons between the ages of 18 and 24 were less inclined to participate in the upcoming general election.

Senator Grant in his proposal also made a case for the teaching of political and electoral matters in schools.

"It can't be as young people we think the issue of running the country is belonging to a distant group, and I think we'll build a healthier democracy, if from the youthful age we bring in younger people in the political process," Senator Norman Grant said.

He contended that fundamental electoral reform and local government reform should be a part of debates in schools.

Commenting on Senator Grant's proposal, Member of Parliament for Central Kingston Victor Cummings agreed that there was need for more participation among the youth in the electoral process.

However, on the point of reducing the voting age, Mr. Cummings said another committee should deal with that matter.

edmond.campbell@gleanerjm.com