In the lead up to the 2025 Federal Election, upstart has been speaking to first-time voters to better understand their experience as they prepare for the polls. Our Voter Voices vox pops found that first-time voters are facing a variety of different challenges. Although some of the voters we spoke to felt prepared, we saw a large majority expressing feelings of uncertainty and nervousness—or even a total lack of interest as soon as the election is mentioned. Many were also unsure of who to vote for and were overwhelmed at the thought of informing themselves on party policies. Some even said they found it easier to just vote the same as their family.
But why are first-time voters struggling to engage in Australian politics? To investigate this further, we spoke to an array of people working to lift the barriers facing the new generation of voters.
Dr Intifar Chowdhury is a political scientist and researcher who is based at Flinders University. She regularly writes for news outlets like The Conversation and ABC, where she covers youth politics Her recent research highlights the challenges young Australians face as they head to the polls, and the importance of their vote. One key finding of her work has been that that first-time voters are simultaneously faced with a lack of education and information overload.
What do you think are the main factors that shape first-time voters’ political views?
The internet plays a huge role. Traditional social networks like unions or churches that once shaped political views have weakened and been replaced by online networks.
Young voters today tend to be issue-aligned rather than party-aligned. That makes sense because they often engage in what is called lifestyle politics. For example, a young carer who is still living at home might care most about health and Medicare because of their personal situation.
Class also matters. Are you going to university or not? Do you live in a city or a rural area? Religion plays less of a role now, but factors like education, income, and location still have an impact.
We have found that first-time voters are also likely to politically align and vote for the same parties as their parents. Is this a new trend?
It still happens, but it is much less common than it used to be. If you go out and talk to people, some will say, “Yes I vote like my parents.” But as a group, that trend is definitely on the decline.
If you compare Gen Z to millennials, and then millennials to Gen X and baby boomers, you will see a pattern. With each generation, more young people are voting based on issues and switching their votes from one election to the next. Their political choices are shaped more by what matters to them in that moment than by long-term party loyalty.
We’ve found that many first-time voters feel unprepared. What’s causing this lack of knowledge and confidence?
There are two big reasons. First, there’s a lack of political and civics education. A study linked to a parliamentary inquiry showed that the most recent voting cohort had the lowest civics scores, and this has been declining for the last decade. There’s not enough support for first-time voters through educational institutions, so they often don’t know even the basics like how our political system works or where to find reliable information.
On the other hand, there’s too much information. Young people are digital natives and are getting info from TikTok, YouTube, and podcasts which are all driven by algorithms. That leads to echo chambers where you’re exposed to only one side of an issue. So, it is overwhelming with not enough formal education, but also too much unfiltered content, which makes it easier to fall into misinformation.
Your research says young people are not disengaged, yet we are seeing fear. Why is there a disconnect?
Disengagement is different from negative feelings about politics. In Australia, formal disengagement is not really possible because voting is compulsory. Informal disengagement would be something like political apathy, where someone says, I do not want to talk about this topic at all.
What we are actually seeing is concern, which is a form of engagement. Young people care, just not necessarily about political parties. They care about the issues. The fear comes from their life circumstances. Compared to older generations, young people are facing more challenges like education debt, housing unaffordability, unstable work, and mental health issues. All these factors make it feel like politics is not working for them. If you are not given the tools to participate properly but still have to vote, of course there will be fear and uncertainty.
Why does it seem that first-time voters are more engaged with US politics than Australian politics?
Australian politics can seem boring compared to what is going on in the US. But global events do shape local perspectives. Young people are paying attention to issues like Gaza or Ukraine and asking, “What is Australia doing about this?”
Then there is what some call the ‘Trump Bump‘. He has created a gender divide among young voters. The data does not fully show it yet, but young men are leaning more right-wing than young women. For young men who are not doing well economically, especially during the cost-of-living crisis, right-wing ideas might feel more appealing. Some feel progressive politics is helping other groups more than them. That kind of ideological influence is very present online.
In 2023, 46 percent of 18–24-year-olds nominated social media as their main source of news. How should we encourage other avenues of information?
We need to focus on the supply side. Legacy media like TV, radio, and newspapers are not doing enough to reach younger audiences. Instead of telling young people to just consume traditional media, those platforms need to adapt.
Gen Z responds to storytelling. Influencer-style content is more effective than someone in a suit talking down to you. Legacy media needs to think less about pushing information and more about creating content that actually connects with young people.
What advice would you give to help first-time voters feel more confident?
The first thing is to fact-check. Most young people will go online for voting information, so it is important to check that the source is reliable. The Electoral Commission website is a good place to start. It clearly explains how to vote.
If you are getting your information from the news, choose a credible outlet. Do not rely on random sources from the internet.
Also, ask questions. Talk to your friends. When I was a first-time voter, I did not want to look stupid, so I avoided asking anyone for help. I thought everyone else knew what they were doing, and I was the only one who did not. But the truth is most people are in the same boat.
People are often wondering, who is my local candidate? Or what does the senate actually do? Voting can be confusing, especially with different processes for the House of Representatives and the Senate. It helps to talk it through. Ask your friends how they are approaching it or which websites they are using. Starting the conversation makes a big difference.
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Article: Charlie Jones, A
Photo: Supplied by Dr Intifar Chowdhury and is used with permission.
