200 000 under 30's not enrolled and don't give a toss (surprise, surprise)

200,000 under-30s not enrolled to vote
Two months out from the November 26 election, nearly 200,000 people aged between 18 and 30 are not enrolled to vote. More than 120,000 people aged between 18 and 24 are yet to enrol, a shortfall of more than 70 per cent of the estimated 438,300 who should be. In the next age bracket, 25-29, about 57,000 of the eligible 281,700 still need to enrol.

Is there any surprise that 200 000 under 30 year olds aren't enrolled to vote? Why would they? The cynicism towards politics is legitimate, when the sleepy hobbits of NZ can flock to a multi-millionaire money trader with the sort of hope evangelical Christians have for the rapture, who wouldn't be cynical?

When the mainstream media spend more time on Happy bloody Feet than us losing jury trials, who wouldn't be disenfranchised and disconnected . We have one of the highest youth suicide rates in the OECD, terrible investment in young people, high teenage pregnancy rates and selfishness sold as a virtue, that the next generation have become consumers and not citizens should surprise no one.

Want to lift the participation rates of young people in our democracy? Lower the voting age to 16 alongside a citizenship curriculum in schools. Rather than blame young people for boy racing, music piracy and every alcohol problem under the sun, how about empower them with their rights as citizens at an early age so the roots of democracy are protected, or they can wither and die.

FACEBOOK
TWITTER