LABOUR YOUTH WELCOMES LABOUR COMMITMENT TO ELECTORAL COMMISSION POWERS TO INTRODUCE VOTES AT SIXTEEN
Labour Youth has welcomed Labour leader, Brendan Howlin’s calls for the establishment of an Electoral Commission to among other things, devise a strategy to lower the voting age.
Speaking on Howlin’s comments, Labour Youth activist, Jack Nolan said” I am 17 years old and have been politically engaged for years. Even in the absence of a vote, young people have been able to put the extension of voting rights to sixteen-year-olds on the agenda several times. One such occasion was a recent Seanad motion, which was supported by civil society groups and NGOs, such as the Irish Second Level Students Union and the National Youth Council of Ireland. This was defeated when Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael teamed up to vote against it.
“These parties will not give young people a voice as they know that they do not represent our interests.”
Labour Youth members who cannot yet vote are encouraging voters to vote for the Labour Party on the 8th February so that evidence based measures may be introduced to extend voting rights to young people and others.
Labour Youth further welcomes Labour leader, Brendan Howlin’s comments urging young voters to ensure that they are added to the supplementary register by the 22nd of January so that they may vote in the general election on the 8th of February.
Labour Youth also urges ALL young voters to check the register to ensure that they have not been removed from the register as there have been many reports of this in recent days. Those who registered in recent months may not be entitled to vote because the new electoral register doesn’t come into force until the 15th of February.