Voters and Candidates of the Future: The Intention for Electoral Participation Among Adolescents in 20 European Countries

Abstract

Within electoral research, there is a growing concern about lower turnout rates among young age cohorts. In this paper we investigate the report willingness to vote among 64,766 14-year olds adolescents from 20 European countries, taking part in the International Citizen and Civic Education Survey (ICCS, 2009). Results indicate that the willingness to vote remains quite high among this age group, but with a clear gender division. While girls are more likely to state that they will vote, boys are more likely to see themselves as a future election candidate. An open classroom climate at school contributes to the willingness to vote in future elections. The elements that are known to have an effect on the turnout level of adults, however, do not have a significant impact on the intention to vote among adolescents. This would suggest that the observed low turnout rate among young age groups cannot just be attributed to an alleged lack of political motivation among adolescents.