Youth Vote Holds Unprecedented Power as Leaders Court Millennials and Gen Z
In this election, the youth vote may be more influential than ever, and what many young Australians are reluctant to say publicly could ultimately shape the result.
Millennials and Gen Z now make up 47% of the electorate, shifting the balance of power from baby boomers — once the dominant voting bloc — to younger generations who now hold significant sway.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton are going to great lengths to appeal to younger voters, even venturing into TikTok trends. Mr Albanese has adopted online slang like “delulu” in his speeches, while Mr Dutton has brought his Gen Z son Harry into the campaign to address youth concerns, particularly around housing affordability.
Recent polling shows Mr Albanese in a strong position. In a notable shift, betting markets flipped just 24 hours ago, with Labor now favoured to retain government at $1.19, compared to the Coalition’s $4.90 odds on Sportsbet.
Despite the odds, memories of the 2019 federal election — when Scott Morrison defied poor polling and claimed a surprise victory — remind voters and analysts alike not to assume the outcome.
A visit by news.com.au to Western Sydney University and the University of Technology Sydney revealed a revealing trend: some young men said they planned to vote Liberal but declined to say so on camera.
“I’m voting Liberal. I just really like their tax policies. Mostly a parents thing — my parents are very Liberal,” said one young man in a hoodie, though he requested not to be filmed.
This hesitance among young male conservative voters reflects a broader trend. Political experts have observed a shift toward conservatism among some men aged 18 to 34. In February, Dr Intifar Chowdhury, a Flinders University government lecturer, predicted that young men in this age range were more likely to support Mr Dutton than women.
She explained this as a reaction to “anti-government rhetoric” and exposure to “online battlegrounds” promoting authoritarian or anti-feminist ideologies, noting an emerging divide in political leanings between young men and women.
Campus interviews further illustrated this split. While many women expressed support for Labor or the Greens, few expressed interest in voting Liberal.
“I’m voting for Labor. I’m not massively into politics, and I don’t really like any of them, to be honest,” said one young woman.
Another said, “Definitely the Greens,” while a third shared, “I’m not sure, but leaning toward the Greens. There’s a lot of info out there, but I know I’m not voting Liberal.”
Others were still undecided, suggesting that both major parties must continue focusing their efforts on persuading younger voters who remain on the fence.
