University of Auckland Leaders Launch Baddies Vote Campaign
Student leaders Matthew Lee and Rhiannon Te Paea are urging young New Zealanders to enroll for the November 7 general election to combat low youth turnout.
Matthew Lee and Rhiannon Te Paea, student leaders at the University of Auckland, have launched the "Baddies vote" campaign to encourage young New Zealanders to enroll for the November 7 general election. The push follows Electoral Commission data showing that only 62.16% of 18 to 24-year-olds were enrolled as of September 1, with Māori youth enrollment significantly lower at 50.4%.
Lee and Te Paea attribute this disengagement to a lack of mandatory civics education in schools and a perception that politicians use young people as tools to score points rather than as partners in decision-making. They argue that there is a significant gap in the education system regarding the teaching of policy, politics, and legislation.
Eligible voters must enroll by midnight on October 25 to participate in the election. Failure to meet this deadline will disqualify young voters from casting ballots in the November 7 contest.
