How to motivate young people to vote, only half of them do

(Patria) - In a little over a month, local elections will be held in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Research shows that older voters will turn out in greater numbers than younger voters this year as well. According to the same results, the most disciplined voters are those over 65, with turnout rates up to 70 percent, while the lowest turnout is among young people, around 50 percent. We investigated why this is the case and how to motivate young people to vote.

Lost trust in institutions, as well as a lack of understanding of the importance of voting out of the belief that their vote cannot change anything – these are just some of the reasons for electoral abstention among young people in Bosnia and Herzegovina. And so it goes from one election process to the next.

"I'm not going to vote and I don't know why I'm not going to, I don't have an answer to the question. "I don't think my vote will change anything, so I don't care."

"I don't know anything about politics and it's not important to me."

True, there are also young people who do not miss the opportunity to decide. Twenty-three-year-old Luka Vranješ from Banja Luka, who will exercise his right to vote in October, believes that young people can bring about change.


"I believe it is a kind of duty for every citizen of any country and that the vote is very important, primarily because the theory of lethargy and disinterest, of the state of fatigue among young people, prevails. First, I believe that this is not true and that young people can bring about certain changes as well as maintain a certain state in society," he says.

There are several key reasons for young people's disinterest in the electoral process, according to political analysts. The first is that they do not see the possibility of any change, which those in power have convinced them of. And the attitude towards the state among generations should not be excluded.

"Older generations have some obligation, some form of responsibility towards the state to go to the polls and express their opinion. They think they can change things and influence their destiny. And young people have the opportunity to simply leave the country, which older people cannot or have a smaller chance of doing, and young people see this as a way out of their situation," says political analyst Velizar Antić.

How to motivate young people to decide in which direction they want society and the state to develop? The Institute for the Development of Youth and Community "Perpetuum mobile" believes that conventional methods to which older politicians are accustomed should be excluded, such as forums, stands, and TV appearances.

“It is very important to conduct constant education of young people. We cannot talk about elections only before elections in an election year. There is also the role of schools where we have democracy classes and where knowledge about the entire electoral system in Bosnia and Herzegovina must be additionally emphasized and worked on. It is very important for young people to understand that the people they elect, or do not elect, will represent them tomorrow and will make very important decisions that will significantly affect them," emphasizes Srđan Ostojić, Executive Director of the Institute for Youth Development "Perpetuum mobile".

According to data from the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 47 percent of young people up to 30 years of age exercised their right to vote in the 2022 general elections. They also emphasize that the Central Election Commission conducts educational campaigns before each election aimed at informing and motivating young people to vote. For the 2024 local elections, in cooperation with the OSCE and USAID, a campaign is planned that includes motivational video materials and events aimed at young voters.