Youth voter turnout challenges in spotlight

As the youth constitute a major portion of the population, with their votes holding the potential to play a pivotal rule in electing the next government, the thought leaders have fervently urged them to exercise their voting rights and “actively participate” in the democratic process during the general elections slated for Feb 8.

The Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (Pildat) recently organised a session, focusing on the issue of “Missing Young Voters”.
Initiating the discussion, Pildat President Ahmed Bilal Mehboob shed light on a trend plaguing Pakistan’s democratic narrative.

He pointed out that despite making an impressive 43.85% of the total registered voters for the impending polls, Pakistanis aged 18 to 35, consistently lagged behind in voter turnout when compared to the national average.

He noted that the historical backdrop painted a bleak picture – a widening gap between overall voter turnout and youth participation with the difference, ranging from 7 to 27 percentage points. The only exception was the 2018 general election, where the gap narrowed to 16.5% points.

Pildat’s analysis revealed an alarming average youth voter turnout of 31% across the past eight election from 1988 to 2018, trailing 13 percentage points behind overall average voter turnout of 44%.

Mehboob delved into the root causes citing people’s growing skepticism towards the electoral system due to economic challenges and heightened terror activities, noting that despite resilience, the youth remained skeptical about the impact of their participation.

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Pildat advocated for practical strategic measures involving political entities, media outlets, civil society organisations, academic institutions and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to actively engage young voters.

Senior journalist Mujibur Rehman Shami passionately emphasised the need for young people to recognise the power of their vote. He stressed the removal of weaknesses in the political and electoral process, asserting that the democratic system would remain incomplete without activating a robust local government system.

Media representatives contributed diverse perspectives during the session. Analyst Benazir Shah drew parallels with India, suggesting that the ECP leverage celebrity influence to engage young voters. She highlighted the importance of utilising social media platforms, such as TikTok, to connect with the younger demographic.

Senior analyst Salman Ghani critiqued political parties for focusing solely on extracting votes without providing commensurate opportunities and quality education for the youth, adding that the absence of student unions further disenfranchised young people from the political process.

The discussion underscored the pressing need to groom and train the youth while instilling a culture of tolerance. It was noted that the exorbitant cost of contesting elections and security concerns posed additional barriers to youth participation in the electoral process.