Make It 16 officially launched during Youth Parliament in 2019. Youth MPs across party lines voiced strong support for lowering the voting age. Many were under 18, yet already deeply engaged with real policy issues, speaking in Parliament, and presenting to Ministers. It was a powerful moment that highlighted the energy and capability of young people and set the stage for a nationwide movement.

Our launch was supported by key champions including MPs Greg O’Connor and Chlöe Swarbrick, Children’s Commissioner Judge Andrew Becroft, and Wellington City Councillors Tamatha Paul and Teri O’Neill, who all advocated for the rights of rangatahi in democracy.

Later that year, Make It 16 took legal action and filed a case in the High Court, with lawyers acting pro bono, on the grounds that the current voting age of 18 breaches section 19 of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act by unjustifiably discriminating against 16 and 17-year-olds. This marked a bold shift in the campaign—from grassroots movement to legal and political challenger.

In October 2020, the High Court ruled on the case. It agreed that 16 and 17-year-olds face discrimination under the current voting laws—but declined to issue a formal declaration, saying the restriction was justified. The campaign chose to appeal the decision.

This year also marked our first major interaction with the justice system and helped build key relationships with media, legal advocates, and constitutional experts.

In 2021, a documentary following Make It 16’s journey through the High Court was released as part of the Doc Edge Festival. The film helped grow public support and strengthen the campaign’s credibility, shining a light on the lived realities of young people affected by the voting age restriction—and the powerful moment a group of teenagers took the government to court. It expanded the campaign’s reach and was widely shared across schools, social media, and civic education events. Watch the full documentary here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSWM85jFGFc

Although the documentary ends with a loss in the High Court, Make It 16 decided to keep going and take the case to the Court of Appeal.

During 2021, Make It 16 also launched a petition calling for the voting age to be lowered and rallied supporters across the country to add their names in support.

By the end of 2021, the Court of Appeal released its decision. It agreed that the voting age of 18 breached the right to be free from age discrimination and that the government hadn’t properly justified it. However, the Court chose not to make a formal declaration of inconsistency, saying the issue was a deeply political one that should be left to Parliament to decide.

Securing a declaration of inconsistency was Make It 16’s main legal goal, as it would have sent a powerful signal to Parliament that the current law is inconsistent with the Bill of Rights and needs to change.

While this was a setback, the Court of Appeal’s decision gave Make It 16 the ability to take the case to the Supreme Court, which is a step usually reserved for cases of major public interest.

This year also marked increasing political engagement, with Make It 16 gaining thousands of signatures on the petition, volunteers presenting to local councils, supporters writing to MPs across the country, and building momentum both inside and outside the courtroom.

In October 2022 the Review into the Future of Local Government recommended lowering the voting age to 16 for local elections, after over 72 elected members from across the country and a number of councils supported the change.

In November 2022, the Supreme Court ruled in Make It 16’s favour, declaring that the voting age of 18 was inconsistent with the right to be free from age discrimination. This was the second time in history that the NZ Supreme Court had issued a Declaration of Inconsistency ever –with the first time being on prisoner voting rights. The judgment recognised that while setting a voting age was a political decision, the government had not provided adequate justification for the age being set at 18, which is inconsistent with the legal standard the Bill of Rights sets. Therefore, the voting age of 18 was –and still is– unjustified age discrimination against 16 & 17 year-olds. The ruling was a major milestone and it compelled the government to respond and intensified public attention.

On the same day the decision was released, the Labour-led government announced it would draft legislation to lower the voting age to 16 for both local and general elections.

Public support surged. Our petition gathered over 7,400 signatures, and the campaign was endorsed by more than 70 local councillors, 60 Youth MPs, and six major city councils including Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin.

Our next big goal was to get the Bill that was introduced by the Labour government to pass and become law.

In 2023, after waiting for months after the Supreme Court case win, the Electoral (Lowering Voting Age for Local Elections and Polls) Amendment Bill was introduced to Parliament.

During the drafting process, the bill was narrowed to focus solely on lowering the voting age for local elections. This change was made because lowering the voting age for general elections would have required a 75% supermajority in Parliament due to the voting age being an entrenched provision in the Electoral Act. In contrast, changing the voting age for local elections only requires a simple majority of 51%, making it a more politically achievable step toward change.

The Bill passed its first reading on 29 August, however this was during the last sitting week of Parliament prior to its dissolution before the 2023 New Zealand general election. The Bill was then referred to Parliament's justice select committee on 7 September 2023.

Make It 16 launched a submissions drive, encouraging rangatahi and supporters across the motu to share their personal stories and views, as well as academics to share their research with the Select Committee.

The campaign also engaged with the Independent Electoral Law Review, submitting formal recommendations to ensure youth perspectives were included in future electoral reforms.

Following the 2023 New Zealand general election, the National, Act, NZ First coalition was elected. We knew then that getting this government to continue progressing the bill to lower the voting age would be an uphill battle.

In early 2024, despite strong public support, the government told the Select Committee to stop considering the Bill. This constitutional outrage left the voting age unchanged. Despite the many submissions from young people and the wider public, none were ever read –a stark reminder that the voices of rangatahi are still sidelined and that youth perspectives continue to be unheard and underrepresented in our democratic process.

After years of nonstop organising, campaigning, and legal action, the Make It 16 team took a step back to rest, reflect, and recalibrate. 2024 became a quieter year for us –but it was still clear this was not the end of the movement.

In 2025, Make It 16 returned with renewed energy and purpose. With local elections approaching, the team has relaunched efforts with plans in place for:

• Kōrero events and hui in cities and schools

• Flyer drops, poster runs, and community stalls

• Workshops on youth rights and political engagement

• Rebuilding regional hubs and youth-led actions
  

A new generation of volunteers has joined the movement, ready to continue the fight for a fairer, more inclusive democracy. The campaign is growing again and the call remains the same: Let us vote!