This year 700,000 Australians will be voting for the first time.

But how do they they feel about it? A recent Australian National University (ANU) survey found that 47 percent of respondents aged 18 to 24 years old have a “great deal of confidence in the federal government”, but in past elections, young people have shown increased disengagement with politics. In 2014, one study on federal election turnouts found that younger people are less likely to vote.

There are a number of factors that could affect first-time voter confidence. For some, the entire electoral process might be baffling. Others find it challenging to arm themselves with the knowledge they feel they need to make an informed vote. For those who do try, making sense of the political news-scape can be like walking into a new show halfway through a season.

So, is there still uncertainty in first-time voters, or has there been a shift this election?

In the lead-up to the 2025 Australian Federal Election, as part of our First-Time Voters Project, we’ll be speaking to young Australians to understand their thoughts, concerns and feelings as they prepare to vote. To kick things off, we asked one simple question: How would you rate your confidence on a scale from 1 to 5 about voting for the first time in a federal election?

Here’s what they said:

“I think I’m at a five, because I know how to vote, I’m just a bit unsure who to pick, just because I want to know a little bit more before I vote for the first time.” Evelyn

 

“Zero, because one, the political climate of Australia, and well, the entire world is just cooked. And I also feel like there’s not a lot of information or support given to young voters on how to navigate the system and how to vote. When I turned 18 I kind of figured that they would send me a letter or something, but there’s just nothing and you just have to figure it out yourself. And obviously, you’re young you’ve never done this before.” Holly

 

“Four. I feel informed about everything, and I know what everyone’s political opinions are. Well, you know, Labor and Liberals.” Asher

 

“I’d say like a three. Just because it’s my first time voting, and I am now an Australian citizen, but I wasn’t born here, so I don’t always understand because it’s different to where I’m from.” Saloné

 

“Probably about a four. I’m fairly confident because they already give you the sheets on how-to-vote. It’s a fairly simple process, you just put numbers in a box. I’m going to be plagued with the ads soon, I guess. So, I’ll be finding out about each party’s policies in the news.” Deklan

 

“Maybe, three, in terms of confidence, and why? Because I haven’t participated in an election before so, I don’t know which parties are which or know what they offer.” Eva

 

“I’m going to go for a three as well, and the reasoning behind it is, I don’t know much about the political parties and it’s also my first time voting.” Vittoria

 

“I’m a dual citizen, of here, and Canada, and I just moved back. So, I voted in the provincial election in Canada last year. So, I’ve done the actual voting process before, I think it’s just I have to figure out who I’m going to vote for. I know how to do the physical like you go and they take your ID and they verify where you’re from.” Rosie

 

“Around a four. I like to get my info from my parents because they look at politics and all that. So, their understanding will tell me who I should vote for.” Zane

 

“Probably a two or three because I feel like I’ve got other people I can ask for advice about the process.” Jack

 

“Three, because I don’t know much about politics.” Dominic

Article:  Ruby Oosthuizen and Angelina Giannis

Photo: by Stanley Morales found HERE and used under a Creative Commons license. This image has been made black and white. The original image was colour.