Youth Voting is Trending...What Does it Mean?

The national youth enrolment rate keeps getting higher and higher - but is it enough?

At the 2019 Federal Election, the rate of voters aged 18 to 24 hit an all-time high of 88.6%, proving that Australian youth are eager and ready to vote. This is an enormous achievement in the face of declining youth enrolment trends globally, which until recently had persisted in Australia for decades. 

2016 saw a dramatic increase in youth enrolment, coinciding with Y Vote’s inception & the campaigns of several other organisations. This was followed up by another enormous jump when more than 65,000 people aged 18-24 enrolled to vote in the lead up to the 2017 Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey. About 30% of the electorate in Australia is made up of young people and we are beginning to realise this potentially determinative power through higher than ever enrolment. But even with high rates of enrolment, when it comes to voting we remain one of the lowest voting groups, especially at the local government level.

“There is a lot of evidence to suggest that millennials are more inclined to engage in politics on an issue level rather than feel ideologically aligned to one political party or another. This can lead to a feeling of disconnect between voting and making your views known to decision makers” says Skye Riggs, our Director here at Y Vote. 

With the rise in climate action protests and social movements like #MeToo, it’s clear now more than ever that our young people are paying attention and demanding change.

So, the interest and engagement is clearly there - so what’s holding us back?

Hack’s 2019 What’s up in your world survey found that 68% of youth were interested in the 2019 federal election, however 51% felt unclear on who to vote for. This correlates with past research findings that show young Australians are interested in getting involved in politics, but are unsure who to vote for and where they can gather information on politics.  

“I think generally young Australians are passionate about particular social issues and are quite willing to take action if they think it will help create change. The problem is, it is less clear how we can use formal democratic processes to help create that change.” 

There is a clear disconnect between young people’s political views beliefs and how they translate into formal interaction with our government. Engagement in informal interactions with our democracy (signing petitions, attending rallies, joining a social movement) are at an incredible peak, so there’s certainly no lack of drive or ambition to create change. But something crucial is getting lost along the way when it comes to our formal interactions with democracy, e.g. voting and interacting with politicians.

“Less than fifty per cent of year tens achieve proficiency levels in civics at school and, at the time when you become eligible to enrol (at 16), civics disappears out of the curriculum” observes Skye.  

Many organisations have been set up to help younger Australians get involved in making their voices heard. Here at Y Vote, we are just one of those organisations - working to power up the civic capabilities of young Australians to create a stronger democracy for our future.

88.6% enrolment is great - but for it to mean anything, we must get involved in and protect our democracy. Rocking up and making an informed vote that aligns with your views is a powerful place to begin.