Young voters cite trust and weak candidates for low turnout

Fewer than half of 18 to 24-year-olds voted in Estonia’s 2023 parliamentary elections, with a shortage of candidates who speak to young people and a lack of trust cited as key reasons, ERR reported.

Turnout among young voters was 46 percent, according to Alar Kilp, a lecturer in comparative politics at the University of Tartu’s Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies. He said younger people are less dependent on political decisions than older voters, who are more likely to own property, earn higher incomes and have school-age children.

“Forty-six percent is low on the one hand, but turnout grows with age,” Kilp said.

He added that direct political participation may be more meaningful to young people than voting. Choosing representatives and having their interests represented through them can seem too abstract, long-term and disconnected from concrete results, he said.

Henry Härm, president of the Political Science Society at the University of Tartu, said young people respond better to political issues when they are presented by other young people.

“A young person can speak to young people about politics best. The problem is that there are too few young politicians dealing with young people’s problems and bringing their voices forward, and those who exist are too similar,” Härm said.

He said the success of prominent young politicians shows that there is demand for distinctive young voices in politics.

Social Democrat Romet Soer said young people are gradually being listened to more in politics. He said more young politicians are openly discussing issues that concern their peers and that this trend could continue.

Härm said social media had encouraged young people to think more about politics and understand its importance. Political parties and politicians are increasingly trying to reach people aged roughly 26 to 30 and younger, he said, while traditional campaign methods no longer work as well with them.

“Young people can only be reached through a strong presence on social media,” Härm said.

Isamaa youth politician Sandra Laur said the best way to engage young people was to speak to them honestly and directly.

“Politics must be discussed in ordinary language. Politicians’ speech is too often so dry and sterile that even I, as someone interested in politics, start yawning,” Laur said.

She added that many politicians’ positions were polished so carefully that they no longer stood out. Young people, she said, could see through vague messages and bureaucratic language.

Turnout among young voters was 35 percent in the parliamentary elections four years earlier. Despite the increase to 46 percent, Helene Kristine Viita, chief executive and board chair of the Estonian National Youth Council, said the main issue remained trust and whether young people felt their votes could make a difference.