The youth vote will affect the election outcome, yet 300,000 haven't even
enrolled, writes Liz Minchin.
Young people's interest in party politics is plummeting and a growing number
of Australians aged 18 to 24 would not vote if it was voluntary, studies
show.
Research obtained by The Age reveals that in an election where youth
preferences could swing marginal seats, about 300,000 eligible young Australians
are not enrolled.
A national survey of political interest shows that while older Australians
are as engaged as they were a generation ago, many under 25 have switched off.
In 1987, when the Australian Election Study was first held, a third of those
surveyed aged 18 to 24 said they had "not much" or "no interest" in politics. By
2001, that proportion had leapt to 51 per cent.
"Young people have become less interested in party politics and have less
trust in politicians," said Ian McAllister, who has researched voting habits in
Australia, Europe and the US.
Another current study has found that if Australia abandoned compulsory
voting, only about 60 per cent of young people would vote, far less than in
previous surveys.
The Youth Electoral Study, run by Sydney University and the Australian
Electoral Commission (AEC), is the biggest national study of the voting and
party politics attitudes of 18 to 24-year-olds. The Age was given early access
to results, which show youth disillusionment has risen since the 2001
election.
"We talked to more than 800 young people... and no matter where they were
from, whether it was attending a private school in a big city or living in a
remote area, what they said reflected very similar feelings of disengagement
from political life," said researcher Murray Print. "They are still very
interested in political issues - like uni fees, the environment, terrorism,
refugees - but they have a lot of problems with party politics."
...
Voters have until 8pm, Tuesday, September 7, to enrol.
Contact the Australian Electoral Commission on 13 23 26 or visit www.aec.gov.au
Full artilce is at
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/09/02/1093939069258.html
"Why young Austral
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