A political scientist at Dalhousie University says she “loves” the idea of lowering the voting age to 16.

Sixteen and 17 year olds in the U.K. will be able to cast a ballot in the next general election according to electoral changes contained in a new Elections Bill being introduced by the Labour Party.

Lori Turnbull says she’s always supported the concept of lowering the voting age to 16 in order to boost democratic engagement.

Turnbull would also like to see a greater focus on educating students about the democratic process in the high school system as well.

“We know, that if a person votes in their first election, they are much more likely to vote the rest of their lives,” says Turnbull. She says giving young people the eligibility to vote, and pairing that with some educational experience, will result in greater democratic engagement. “It’s a problem that our voter turnout is so low.”