One way of reaching out to marginalized youth is the use of cultural activities in the form of music, theatre, street art and comics. They offer the possibility to convey electoral messages in a playful manner to targeted audiences. 

Many EMBs are already thinking progressively by using arts and culture in voter education activities. 

Example: In Tunisia, UNDP in 2011 sponsored the recording of the song “Enti Essout”[i] (“You are the Voice” or, more idiomatically, “It’s Your Call”), which became the unofficial anthem of the elections. The song was a collaboration among a diverse group of Tunisian musicians, from folk singers to rap artists, and was distributed for free on CD and made available for free download from the internet. 

Example: In the 2016 national Mongolian parliamentary election, Women for Change, a CSO, implemented an interactive art installation as part of its voter education and political accountability programs. Young people were invited to paint 500 ceramic hand sculptures and provided with non-partisan information about voting registration, the democratic process, and the importance of including young people’s voices in politics. See Annex: Raising Voter Awareness in Mongolia. 

Example: In 2014, UNDP supported the Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan with promoting civic and voter education through mobile theatres throughout the country. Mobile theatres targeted illiterate people in particular and emphasized the importance of elections in the democratic process as well as a voter’s ability to influence his or her future. 

Example: In 2018 in Bougainville, the election management body (Office of Bougainville Election Commission) set up an awareness/voter education booth at the Bougainville Chocolate Festival (a cultural festival which attracts potential voters from throughout the region). 

Example: In Japan, when the country was preparing to introduce legislation to lower the voting age from 20 to 18, in 2016, the government (through the Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts, and Telecommunications) enlisted a heroine of the popular comic books as a spokesmodel for its teen education efforts.