How do I prepare properly for the elections? Do I need to have insider political information to exercise my voting rights? Many questions buzzed through the minds of first-time voters Alexandra L. (18) and Paul E. (19) before meeting Alexander Van der Bellen in the “Krone” for a conversation about the election. The Federal President tells them what they need to know.
Alexandra feared she still didn’t know enough about politics. But Van der Bellen reassured her: “It is good to know why you are going to vote. But age experience should not be a condition for a young voter.” Paul wondered whether the elections matter, since the Federal President has relatively “few” tasks in the state. Van der Bellen agreed. But his signature determines whether a proposal of this is adopted. And then “it depends on him,” Alexander Van der Bellen emphasized the importance of the office.
After the conversation, the two are looking forward to their first round of voting and want to encourage other young voters to vote as well.
Probably around three percent young voters
The generations tick differently, that much becomes clear when you look at voter analyses. There are not many, the young voters who choose their Federal President for the first time. The Ministry of the Interior cannot give exact figures, but the 16 to 18 year olds are probably around three percent, explains political scientist Peter Filzmaier.
The over-80s are about double that. The young have less control over the outcome of the elections than the seniors. Voting behavior differs from that of the older generation, who traditionally vote for one of the two major parties, namely ÖVP or SPÖ.
Young voters tend not to think too much about the center and choose the right or left side: young men are more likely to vote for the FPÖ, young women for the Greens or NEOS. That which the parents choose is chosen – this statement cannot be confirmed.
Hard to reach people between 20 and 30
Incidentally, it is not the very young voters who cannot be reached politically, but the ‘twens’, ie people between the ages of 20 and 30. Political scientist Filzmaier explains this on the basis of the activity of young adults: by staying abroad and changing their place of residence, they are difficult to grasp. Pupils are more tangible, not least because of political education at school. In the twenties, the “first-time appeal” to go to the polls often disappeared.
By the way, a total of 958,136 absentee ballots have been issued for tomorrow’s elections, of which 60,264 were to Austrians living abroad. Compared to the 2019 National Council elections, the total number of eligible voters decreased by 0.5 percent to 6,363,489.
Anna Brandis and Nadine Isser
Source: Krone
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