Youth and Elections

Topic IndexObstacles at the individual level

The following obstacles hinder young people’s participation at the individual level:

Distrust in political institutions. A growing number of citizens (including young people) have little trust in formal political processes, political institutions and leaders, perhaps because they feel they are not representative of their interests.[i]
Lack of confidence and trust in EMBs. The composition of EMB leadership is in many countries a controversial issue. If stakeholders, political parties, do not agree with the composition of an EMB, there is an increased risk that they will boycott the elections and demotivate citizens from participating, which can lead to a low voter turnout.
Lack of access to/knowledge about political processes. Young people are grappling with understanding the complexities of democratic societies and formal political processes. The UN 2016 Global Youth Report shows that nearly 53 percent of young college graduates say they always vote in national elections, in comparison with about 44 percent of all 18–29-year-olds.[ii] Other groups that are likely to lack the required knowledge to participate are marginalized youth such as minorities, unemployed youth, and those living in isolation and/or poverty. A weak understanding of democratic principles and electoral processes makes it more difficult for youth to perceive elections as routes to express their grievances, demand change, and hold governments accountable.
Social and economic exclusion/marginalization. Finding a sustainable job has become a daily struggle for many young people in all parts of the world. They have to cope with precarious working conditions such as part-time, short-term, temporary, and low-paid employment situations, all of which make it hard to find a work–family balance, rent a house and access health care services (among other important priorities).[iii] Living conditions are even harder for young women, youth growing up in poverty and conflicts, youth without education certificates, and unemployed youth.

[i] The 2015 EuroBarometer shows that 62 per cent of European Union (EU) citizens do not trust their national parliaments, 63 per cent tend not to trust their national governments and 46 per cent tend not to trust the EU. European Commission, Standard EuroBarometer 2015, “Public Opinion in the European Union,” (European Commission, 2015), http://ec.europa.eu/COMMFrontOffice/publicopinion/index.cfm/Survey/index#p=1&instruments=STANDARD.

In Asia-Pacific, trust in legislative and executive institutions in most countries is lower among young people than among other population groups. UNDP, Youth and Democratic Citizenship in East and South East Asia.

[ii] UN-DESA, World Youth Report 2016.

[iii] UN-DESA, World Youth Report 2016. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), “In 2014, 42.6 per cent of economically active youth are either unemployed or working but living in poverty.” ILO, Global Employment Trends for Youth 2015: Scaling Up Investments in Decent Jobs for Youth, (ILO, October, 8, 2015), https://www.ilo.org/global/research/global-reports/youth/2015/WCMS_412015/lang--en/index.htm.

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Youth and Elections