At the organizational level, inadequate or ineffective youth policies of EMBs, political parties and parliaments are factors in the limited participation of young people in formal politics. 

• Limited data on youth political participation. Data collection is essential to understand the complexities of youth political exclusion and to develop comprehensive youth strategies and targeted interventions to foster youth participation throughout the electoral cycle. Many EMBs do not have either (or both) quantitative and qualitative data on youth electoral participation. EMBs may not have easily accessible data. Even if they do have data, such as citizens’ birth dates in voter registration systems, they may lack the capacity (time, skills, resources) or inclination to analyze the data in ways that are useful for these purposes.
• Lack of an exclusive EMB youth policy and sustainable funding. 

o   Provisions for youth involvement are often grouped with other underrepresented groups such as minorities, indigenous peoples, women, and disabled people. As a result, EMBs do not adequately profile their initiatives targeting youth. 

o   EMBs’ youth initiatives are mostly tied to voter education initiatives, which are strengthened and supported when elections are drawing closer yet are abandoned or ignored after elections are held. Voter education programs are often not extended beyond the election period, even though such activities are most effective when integrated into broader civic education programs that focus on broader concepts such as democracy, participation, and representation. 

o   Youth engagement projects are not always seen as a priority. As a result, already scarce funds available for the organization of elections are often diverted to other areas of work. 

o   EMBs often don’t coordinate with the formal education system on the delivery of civic and voter education and/or engagement with youth initiatives. 

• Low representation of youth in EMB structures. Strict recruitment policies (e.g., required years of experience) and a lack of training opportunities for young people within EMB structures contribute considerably to the underrepresentation of youth in higher levels of decision-making.
• Voter registration. In some countries, complex registration processes and the costs related to obtaining the necessary documentation to get enrolled constitute serious barriers for youth to get registered. Women who may not be able to leave their homes due to cultural norms and family duties face major obstacles to get registered if no special provisions and initiatives (including education and awareness among men) are established to facilitate their registration. Voter registration for youth studying away from home can be considerably more difficult as they often do not have the time and money to travel back home to get registered in their constituencies.
• Party politics: Political parties are the gatekeepers of elected positions and decide who will be placed on their candidate lists and at which position. Political parties’ nomination processes have not always favored young candidates, as they are often placed in low positions on candidates’ lists, with very limited possibilities to get elected. To counter the declining youth political party membership, youth wings have been established. Unfortunately, political party leadership has not always taken youth wings seriously, such as when these groups’ mandates are limited to supporting campaigns and/or recruiting new party members. In such instances, they often are given no power to influence nomination processes, set agendas or write party manifestos. 

• Interrupted electoral cycles: If one or more election is delayed for any reason, there might be the risk that young people, particularly first-time voters, opt out in subsequent votes. Their lack of opportunity to cast ballots in originally scheduled polls can easily transform into lack of interest for the political affairs and self-isolation from democratic processes.