KEY POINTS:
Words like "apathetic, uncaring, ungrateful, lazy, selfish" are typical of the criticisms I hear heaped on the significant numbers of young adults missing from electoral rolls today.
This is largely untrue. I say this because of research we have had done over the last 18 months.
Young adults under the age of 25 years made up 40 per cent of the 250,000 people missing from the electoral roll last Friday, when November 8 was announced as election day. About 25 per cent of the under 25s that did make it on to the roll in 2005 didn't vote, compared with 20 per cent of older electors.
Generationally, today's younger adults are 20-30 per cent less likely to vote than their parents at the same age.
But non-voters are just as likely as voters to believe that who people vote for can make a difference to what happens. While a fifth say they are not interested in politics they had, nevertheless, discussed at least one political issue in the previous year.
So if non-voters profess to a belief in the power of the vote - and admit they discuss issues that are political - what is stopping them from making it to the polling booth?
One key factor is that while large numbers of young adults discuss or care about issues, they don't see them as political. For them, politics what they see happening in Parliament. The other key factors are beliefs that politics is for "grown-ups" or hard to understand or "do".
Five groups of young non-voters:
In depth discussions with young 2005 non-voters found five general groups based on experience and attitudes.
Two groups, the politically absent and living for the weekend seem unlikely to be persuaded to vote this year.
Understanding the other three groups indicates ways to encourage thier participation.
The confident and convinced are interested in politics, know how to do it and feel confident but don't quite make it to a polling booth. Information about advance voting and reminders of the election date should make a difference here. If you know someone in this group why not take them with you when you go off to vote?
For the distrustful and disillusioned, politics is interesting and matters but they feel ignored and disenfranchised with the system. Again the interest and confidence is there and may need only a small nudge to persuade them to cast their vote.
The fifth group, tentative triers, need a confidence boost. For some, the very idea of choosing who to vote for is paralysing. They think that elections are important, so important that it is better to not vote than to vote for the "wrong" party or person. Another daunting prospect is walking into a polling booth when you don't know what happens inside.
Again being included in a group of experienced voters may make all the difference. Or, show them the basic information on voting and how MMP works on www.elections.org.nz (in audio and written formats), or on www.ivotenz.org.nz.
Labelling young non-voters as apathetic, uncaring, and so on also ignores the role the rest of us have in establishing the confidence, skills and environment to support political participation by more young Kiwis.
Young adults who have already experienced the power of their own political voice are way more likely to enrol and vote.
Home and school are the most common places for young people to experience that voice with sports and other community groups also potentially playing a role.
Hearing politics discussed, and being encouraged to take part, watching or listening to the news, and taking part in the wider community can also help to develop the confidence to use one's political voice.
The approaching election provides a range of opportunities to introduce young people to the important role that we all play in a democracy.
My challenge to voters this election is to take the kids in your family (immediate or extended) with you when you go to vote.
Encouraging children to watch from the sidelines on polling day is perhaps the simplest and most effective way to recruit future voters and nurture New Zealand's democratic health.
GETTING ON THE ROLL
* ENROLLING by Wednesday, October 8, will ensure you get an EasyVote pack in the mail ahead of election day which will make voting faster.
* AND AFTER THAT? You can enrol after October 8, up until midnight on Friday, November 7. But you will need to cast a special declaration vote which takes longer to do.
* CONTACTS: Freephone 0800 36 76 56, freetext your name and address to 3676 or visit www.elections.org.nz , or any PostShop to enrol.
