Over half of young Aucklanders say voting should be compulsory, despite a 45 per cent turnout for the demographic in 2016’s local elections — the second lowest of all age groups.
Auckland Council’s pre-election survey of 417 people aged 25 to 34 found they were more in favour for compulsory voting than any other age group at 57.7 per cent. Additionally, 29.2 per cent of those in the demographic were against it and 13.1 per cent said they did not know.
The survey also found from a sample of 204 people aged 18 to 24 that 53.6 per cent were in favour of compulsory voting, while 31.9 per cent were against it and 14.5 per cent did not know.
Otago University law professor Andrew Geddis said he hoped the survey results encourage people to talk about why voting is important.
"Only 38.5 per cent of [all] Aucklanders voted at the last election, yet more than half are now calling for mandatory voting," he said.
"It’s clear most Aucklanders are concerned about low turnout and want to see measures taken."
The survey also found 72.8 per cent of 25- to 34-year-olds and 64.1 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds intended to vote.
Auckland Council General Manager of Democracy Services Marguerite Delbet said more people say they intend to vote than actually do.
"We have a dedicated elections team working to make sure Aucklanders follow through with their intentions," she said.
She said the team will be partnering with youth vote organisations such as RockEnrol, as well as encouraging diverse communities, including young people, to stand for positions.
Ms Delbet said this would encourage more youth to vote as they can have someone they "identify and have an affinity with".
RockEnrol co-founder Laura O’Connell Rapira said the limited representation of young people in elected positions made it difficult for youth to see local government as a way to have their voices heard. In 2016, less than one per cent of councillors around the country were under 30.
She said there was a number of barriers to voting, including decreased accessibility to post shops as more close down, a lack of non-partisan information about candidates and limited civics education in school.
"We've found that making voting a more social process can make it much more appealing for young people."
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