Reward for registering

The Independent Electoral Review has made many sensible recommendations to improve our election process.

In particular, to extend voting rights to 16 and 17-year-olds, which is justified not only on the basis of non-discrimination, as recognised by the Supreme Court, but also, most critically, on the need for wide participation of citizens in election processes – a foundation stone of our democracy.

Let’s hope the National Party will rethink its opposition to engaging young people in politics.

Now, whether the threshold is 16, 17 or 18 years, how can we ensure each new annual cohort is fully registered? Through promotional programmes, yes, but why not also through explicit incentives?

Various options could be considered. Imagine if each newly registered young elector were to receive a reward of $100 or token of similar value – few would pass up that offer, and it would emphasise the value society places on their participation. The cost for the 60,000-strong cohort would be $6 million a year, plus maybe another $1m for administration.

Add extra if applied to tardy registrants in older age groups. Not a trivial sum, but tiny compared to the significance and existing cost of our democracy.

Reid Basher, Karori