ONLY 37.6% IN FAVOR OF LOWERING VOTING AGE TO 18|民調:16歲以上 認同下修投票年齡只37.6%

Taiwan's voting age is currently 20, which is higher than in most democratic countries, and some have been advocating for allowing younger people to vote as well. However, a recent poll showed that not that many people support such a call. Japan lowered its voting age from 20 to 18 last June, joining the majority of the world's democracies. As for whether Taiwan should follow suit, a recent poll discovered that only 37.6% of respondents over the age of 16 are in favor of lowering the voting age to 18, and 47% were not in favor. However, over 50% of respondents between 20 and 29 were in favor of the change. The Taiwan Alliance for Advancement of Youth Rights and Welfare said that apathy from the ruling party is the main reason for Taiwan's inaction on the issue. ==YEH TA-HUA Sec.-Gen., Taiwan Alln. for Adv. of Youth Rights and Welfare== When we look at global experiences in advocating for lowering the voting age, we see that the key factor has always been leadership shown by parties, particularly ruling parties, in driving communication and discussion. It's rare that we see the situation in Taiwan, where no ruling party has been willing to take on the responsibility. Youth representatives say that, without increased political participation from young people, the "gerontocracy" will be even more firmly in control of the country's future. ==LIN YEN-TING PTS Youth News Host== Whether I can participate in national policy discussions, like the discussion on pension reform, isn't this important for my life? I think it's ridiculous that I can't participate at age 18, but I can at age 20. There's no reason for that. That's why I think the voting age needs to be lowered. 78% of respondents opposed to lowering the voting age believe that youths are too mentally and intellectually immature. Yeh said that this was the results of adults projecting their distrust of party politics onto youths. She called on President Tsai Ing-wen to fulfill her campaign promise to pass a constitutional amendment lowering the voting age. TRANSLATED BY：JOHN CHEN 台灣目前法定的投票年齡是20歲，在民主國家中排名落後，有週刊民調顯示，16歲以上的受訪者，認同下修年齡的只占37.6%，台少盟認為要政黨帶頭，才能夠順利推動。 日本18歲青年投票權，去年六月下旬生效，投票年齡從20歲降到18歲，世界上多數民主國家，也陸續下修年齡到18歲，台灣何時跟進呢？有週刊針對投票年齡是否下修進行民調，結果發現16歲以上的受訪者裡，認同下修到18歲的只佔37.6%，不同意的比例高達47%，不過在20-29歲的族群裡認同比例卻超過五成，台少盟認為推動不了下修的主因，是執政黨不重視。 ==台灣少年權益與福利促進聯盟秘書長 葉大華== 我覺得在看全世界推動 下修投票年齡 關鍵的因素都是政黨 特別是執政黨的帶動 這個議題的溝通跟討論 很少像台灣這樣 沒有一個執政黨願意 有這樣的肩膀扛起這樣的責任 執政黨沒有肩膀扛起責任，而與會的青年代表認為，如果不提升青年的政治參與，可能變成「銀髮政治」掌握國家未來，年輕世代更難影響政治決策。 ==公視青春發言人主持人 林彥廷== 我今天能不能夠參與國家政策 譬如說年金改革 對我人生會不會重要 我反而就會認為說十八歲不行 二十歲才可以 但中間這兩年的差距 其實是非常荒謬的 就是它沒有一個原因 我就覺得這件事情是 應該要被下修被改正的 接受民調的反對者裡，有高達78%認為青年心智尚未成熟，葉大華認為，這是成人投射自己對政黨政治的不信任感，呼籲蔡英文總統落實政見、趕快修憲，下修投票年齡，才能跟上世界腳步。 記者朱鳳治 陳保羅 台北報導