It's Election Time!

If you live in Australia and are over the age of 18 - you will be voting this Saturday on the 18th of May!

While there is discussion about whether the voting age should be lowered, with young people being more informed, and engaged with politics than ever before (See an article here about just that) - for now, you have to be over 18 to vote. 

You may be thinking - "Who the heck should I vote for, and how??" 

The voting system can be confusing.

All those numbers and boxes.....but It's important to remember that YOUR VOTE COUNTS. 

A few things you can do to make your vote count:

• Enroll to vote!! Make sure you are enrolled to vote ahead of time. It is too late for this vote, but make sure you are enrolled for the next election.
• Research the policies of all parties before voting day
• Plan ahead of time where and when you will vote on the day 
• Decide on how you will number the boxes before you go into the voting booths
• Number enough or all of the boxes - but be sure you've done a bit of research first. 

Spending a bit of time learning how to vote, and what parties best align with your views on issues you care about, is worth it. You will have a much greater impact.

Some places to go for more information: 

• Youth Action - has a policy tracker with information about where the different parties sit on issues affecting young people
• Check out info on where to vote, and who's running in this election 
• Get Up advocate for different issues based on values, not party politics
• The ballot papers you will get on Saturday can be found here. Be prepared before you go in and practice if you need to. 
• Read up on why your vote matters as a young person here 

Happy voting!