Advice for Young Voters from Young Voters
By Tori Raine, Gabriel Bowen and Ronella Felizardo
It’s election year and the YWCA are keen to get young people voting. To kick things off, they’ve collaborated with year 1 communication students in the School of Media Arts at Wintec- Te Pūkenga to develop an awareness campaign.
Youth Vote is designed to raise political awareness amongst the youth and, most importantly, increase participation in the upcoming election.
With this goal in mind, some of the campaign team ventured out into campus to survey students about the upcoming election. How do they feel about it? Do they want to vote? Do they understand how?
The team encountered a variety of different opinions regarding the current political landscape of Aotearoa, New Zealand and discovered some unease from people who are voting for the first time, as well as some accompanying tips for ways to navigate politics.
In The Hub, in the centre of campus they interviewed Ilnarie Kazakevis, a performing arts student in Wintec. Kazakevis is a first time voter and she still feels conflicted about who to vote for because there are good and bad points with the different parties. She is going to keep an eye on the news and try not to be influenced by others.
“For first time voters, be sure to watch the election, watch the news and look at past elections. Make your own decisions and don’t get caught up with the opinions of others because your voice matters.”
Lia Revell said she would also be researching the different parties to see how they align with her values
“It is a good idea to know about each party and do research on what goes into your values.”
Tori Post is also a first time voter, and says as well as checking how parties values line up, she will also be looking at more complex issues around her own ideas and preconceptions.
“Personally, as a first time voter, I’m researching which policies allign with my values. I’ve realised that politics is a multi-faceted unit and I’m currently examining my own biases in relation to voting.”
The Youth Vote Campaign aims to increase the numbers of people who will vote for this upcoming election through a range of awareness campaigns. To find out more about the Youth Vote Campaign, follow @youthvotenz and on their Facebook page Youth Vote NZ.
