One in three people aged 18 to 21 not registered to vote

ONE in three people between the ages of 18 and 21 are not registered to vote, research reveals.

The National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI) blamed the current voter registration system for the low turnout of young people for elections and referenda.

The NYCI survey, published yesterday, found only 64% of young people between the ages of 18 and 21 were registered to vote. And just 71% of the 1,020 people aged between 18 and 25 who were involved in the study were registered.

Online voting and automatic registration were seen by young people as the most effective way of encouraging voter participation.

NYCI director James Doorley said the survey confirmed anecdotal evidence that many young people wanting to vote were prevented from doing so because they were not registered at the time.

“We have consistently called for the voter registration and electoral system to be reformed to make them accessible, effective and relevant to young people in Ireland,” he said.

Mr Doorley said automatic registration at age 18 should be possible because Irish residents have a personal public service number (PPS).

More than 70% of young people believed online voting would play a major role in encouraging voter participation.

And almost 60% believed more young people would be encouraged to vote if elections and referenda were held on Saturdays or Sundays.

In the light of the research the NYCI is calling on the Government to implement the recommendation of the Taskforce on Active Citizenship to establish an independent electoral commission to oversee voter registration, voter education and the electoral process.

The organisation has also urged politicians and political parties to develop strategies to increase their direct contact with young people.