Voting and the electoral process are at the core of a functioning democracy. There is a consensus among political scientists that democracies perform better when more people vote. It is therefore critical that as many eligible voters as possible make use of their right to vote. In many countries, however, low voter turnout remains a significant challenge.
Low voter turnout is a societal problem in itself. In addition, international studies show that voter turnout varies significantly between different demographic groups. The groups affected by low voter turnout are different from country to country, but a common thread across the globe is that young, first-time voters are particularly challenging to mobilize. In the Nordic countries statistics show that youth in their early 20s have the lowest turnout. Low voter turnout among youth is also a challenge in Myanmar.
There are many reasons that young, first-time voters don’t vote. When asked why they did not choose to vote, Nordic youth say lack of knowledge about the different political parties and not believing that one’s vote will make a difference. Some youth also say that they do not have time to vote, or that they were away from home on Election Day. Some youth claim that they did not vote because they have no interest in politics.
When asked the same question, Myanmar youth explain that lack of time and the need to prioritize studies or working for a living are reasons for not voting. Myanmar youth also say that they find it challenging to obtain sufficient information on the many political parties and how to differentiate between them.
From a political perspective, successfully mobilizing young, first-time voters has long term rewards. Studies show that individuals who participate in elections when they are young, are more likely to continue voting later in life. If, on the other hand, a habit of voting is not established at a young age, it is less likely to be formed at all. It should therefore be a priority to ensure that young, first-time voters make their voices heard by voting.
In the Nordic countries, the political parties have established parallel political youth organizations, “youth wings”, to encourage the participation of youth and to increase voter turnout among young, first-time voters. These youth wings make it possible to gain political experience at an early age, and they play a significant part in strengthening the voices of youth in politics. Youth wings educate their members and prepare them to take on roles in politics in the future, and they are therefore an essential recruiting platform.
In the Nordic countries, many young people enter the political arena early, thanks to the youth wings. Some take on key political or advocacy roles at an early age. Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg is only 17. The youngest member of the European Parliament is a 21-year-old Dane. Norway’s youngest mayor is 22 years old. Finland’s Prime Minister is only 34 years old – which makes her the world’s youngest state leader.
This year, 2020, is an election year in Myanmar and a pivotal moment in the country’s ongoing democratization process. Myanmar will have almost 4.8 million first-time voters in the upcoming election this fall. By comparison, the populations of Denmark, Finland and Norway are respectively 5.6, 5.5 and 5.5 million. Mobilizing Myanmar’s young, first-time voters to use their right to vote, is important in and of itself, but it is also an important investment in the future. By building habits of democratic participation in young, first-time voters, Myanmar is building the foundations of its democracy of tomorrow.
The diplomatic missions of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden to Myanmar strongly believe in the importance of mobilizing young, first-time voters. Because of this, the four missions have chosen Mobilization of Young Voters as the topic of this year’s annual Nordic Day Event on Feb. 14. The event is a joint effort of the four Nordic missions in Yangon to increase awareness about the Nordic countries and our activities in Myanmar.
As a part of our Nordic Day 2020, we have invited university students from across Myanmar to an interactive discussion on young voter mobilization. The aim is to gather students, who are also young, first-time voters, to learn about and generate action points concerning elections and youth participation in political processes. Our young diplomats will also share Nordic experiences about youth wings and on how to mobilize young, first-time voters. We believe that including young people in political discussions is crucial, in part because their interests are often different from those of older voters.
As Myanmar prepares for its 2020 election, the Nordic countries strongly encourage the people of Myanmar, and in particular young, first-time voters, to strengthen Myanmar’s democracy by using their votes!
This op-ed was written jointly by the heads of the Nordic diplomatic missions in Myanmar.
You may also like these stories:
Kupiga kura na mchakato wa uchaguzi ni kiini cha demokrasia inayofanya kazi. Kuna makubaliano kati ya wanasayansi wa siasa kwamba demokrasia hufanya vizuri zaidi wakati watu wengi wanapopiga kura. Kwa hiyo ni muhimu kwamba wapiga kura wengi iwezekanavyo watumie haki yao ya kupiga kura. Hata hivyo, katika nchi nyingi, kiwango cha chini cha wahudhuriaji wa uchaguzi bado ni tatizo kubwa. Kujiunga na wapiga kura kwa kiwango cha chini ni tatizo la kijamii lenyewe. Kwa kuongezea, masomo ya kimataifa yanaonyesha kwamba idadi ya wapiga kura hutofautiana sana kati ya vikundi tofauti vya idadi ya watu. """Vikundi vinavyoguswa na idadi ya wapiga kura ya chini ni tofauti kutoka nchi moja hadi nyingine, lakini kitu kimoja katika ulimwengu ni kwamba vijana, wapiga kura wa kwanza, ni changamoto hasa kuhamasisha." Katika nchi za Nordic, takwimu zinaonyesha kwamba vijana wenye umri wa miaka 20 na zaidi ndio wanaoshiriki kwa kiwango cha chini zaidi. Kujiunga kwa wapiga kura wa chini miongoni mwa vijana pia ni changamoto nchini Myanmar. Kuna sababu nyingi ambazo vijana, wapiga kura wa kwanza hawapigi kura. "Walipokuwa wakiulizwa kwa nini hawachagui kupiga kura, vijana wa Nordic walisema ""kutokuwa na maarifa juu ya vyama tofauti vya kisiasa na kutoamini kwamba kura ya mtu itafanya tofauti.""" Vijana wengine wanasema pia kwamba hawana wakati wa kupiga kura, au kwamba walikuwa mbali na nyumbani siku ya uchaguzi. Vijana fulani husema kwamba hawakupiga kura kwa sababu hawapendezwi na siasa. "Wakati wa kuulizwa swali hilo, vijana wa Myanmar wanaeleza kuwa ""ukosefu wa muda na uhitaji wa kuweka masomo au kufanya kazi ili kupata riziki kuwa sababu za kutopiga kura.""" Vijana wa Myanmar pia wanasema kuwa wanapata ugumu kupata habari za kutosha juu ya vyama vingi vya kisiasa na jinsi ya kutofautisha kati yao. Kutoka kwa mtazamo wa kisiasa, kufanikiwa kuhamasisha vijana, wapiga kura wa kwanza ina tuzo za muda mrefu. Uchunguzi unaonyesha kuwa watu wanaoshiriki katika uchaguzi wanapokuwa wachanga, wana uwezekano mkubwa wa kuendelea kupiga kura baadaye maishani. Kwa upande mwingine, kama tabia ya kupiga kura haijaanzishwa katika umri mdogo, ni uwezekano mdogo wa kuundwa kabisa. Kwa hiyo inapaswa kuwa kipaumbele kuhakikisha kwamba vijana, wapiga kura wa kwanza kufanya sauti zao kusikilizwa kwa kupiga kura. Katika nchi za Nordic, vyama vya kisiasa vimeanzisha mashirika ya kisiasa ya vijana sambamba, "mabawa ya vijana", kuhamasisha ushiriki wa vijana na kuongeza ushiriki wa wapiga kura miongoni mwa vijana, wapiga kura wa kwanza. "Vikundi hivi vya vijana vinawezesha kupata uzoefu wa kisiasa katika umri mdogo, na vina jukumu muhimu katika kuimarisha sauti za vijana katika siasa. """ "Vikundi vya vijana huwaletea wanafunzi wao elimu na kuwaandaa kuchukua majukumu ya kisiasa katika siku zijazo, na kwa hivyo ni jukwaa muhimu la kuajiri.""" Katika nchi za Nordic, vijana wengi huingia katika uwanja wa siasa mapema, shukrani kwa mabawa ya vijana. Wengine huchukua majukumu muhimu ya kisiasa au ya utetezi wakiwa na umri mdogo. Mwanaharakati wa hali ya hewa wa Sweden Greta Thunberg amefikia umri wa miaka 17 Mjumbe mdogo wa Bunge la Ulaya ni Mdanimaki mwenye umri wa miaka 21. Meya mdogo wa Norway ana umri wa miaka 22 Waziri Mkuu wa Finland ana umri wa miaka 34 tu, na hivyo ni kiongozi mdogo zaidi duniani. Mwaka huu wa 2020 ni mwaka wa uchaguzi nchini Myanmar na ni wakati muhimu katika mchakato wa demokrasia unaoendelea nchini humo. Myanmar imeweka idadi ya wapiga kura milioni 4.8 katika uchaguzi wa uchaguzi wa mwaka huu. Kwa kulinganisha, idadi ya watu wa Denmark, Finland na Norway ni 5.6, 5.5 na 5.5 milioni. """Kujitokeza kwa vijana wa Myanmar, wapiga kura wa kwanza kutumia haki yao ya kupiga kura, ni muhimu kwa wenyewe, lakini pia ni uwekezaji muhimu katika siku zijazo." """Kwa kujenga tabia za ushiriki wa kidemokrasia kwa vijana, wapiga kura wa kwanza, Myanmar inajenga misingi ya demokrasia yake ya kesho." Ujumbe wa kidiplomasia wa Denmark, Finland, Norway na Sweden nchini Myanmar unaamini sana umuhimu wa kuhamasisha vijana wanaopiga kura kwa mara ya kwanza. Kwa sababu hii, ujumbe nne zimechagua kuhamasisha wapiga kura vijana kama mada ya hafla ya kila mwaka ya Siku ya Nordic mnamo Februari 14. Tukio hilo ni juhudi ya pamoja ya ujumbe nne za Nordic huko Yangon ili kuongeza ufahamu juu ya nchi za Nordic na shughuli zetu nchini Myanmar. Katika siku ya Nordic 2020, tunawakaribisha wanafunzi wa chuo kikuu kutoka kote Myanmar kwa majadiliano ya maingiliano juu ya kuhamasisha wapiga kura vijana. Lengo ni kukusanya wanafunzi, ambao pia ni vijana, wapiga kura wa kwanza, kujifunza na kuzalisha pointi za hatua kuhusu uchaguzi na ushiriki wa vijana katika michakato ya kisiasa. Wanadiplomasia wetu wachanga pia watashiriki uzoefu wa Nordic kuhusu mabawa ya vijana na juu ya jinsi ya kuhamasisha vijana, wapiga kura wa kwanza. """Tunaamini kuwa ni muhimu kuwahusisha vijana katika majadiliano ya kisiasa, kwa sababu mara nyingi maslahi yao ni tofauti na yale ya wapiga kura wazee." Myanmar inapojitayarisha kwa uchaguzi wake wa 2020, nchi za Nordic zinawahimiza sana watu wa Myanmar, na haswa vijana, wapiga kura wa kwanza, kuimarisha demokrasia ya Myanmar kwa kutumia kura zao! Uandishi huu uliandikwa kwa pamoja na wakuu wa misheni ya kidiplomasia ya Nordic nchini Myanmar. Huenda pia ukafurahia hadithi hizi: