Young New Zealanders want to vote, research finds - The issue is, who to vote for?

Most young people want to vote they just haven’t decided who for, new research has found.

About three quarters of New Zealanders between 18-25 surveyed are planning to vote this coming election, but about 60 per cent are undecided which party will get their vote.

The highest ratio of intending voters came from Wellington at 82 per cent, and the lowest was in Auckland at 72 per cent.

Already, 17 per cent of voters in the South Island (excluding Christchurch) had chosen not to vote.

The respondents of the survey conducted by the Research Association New Zealand were 669 young New Zealanders spread across the country.

Participants were asked if at least one of the available political parties “represents your interests, values or beliefs”.

Only 46 per cent answered ‘Yes’.

Fourteen per cent of participants responded with ‘No’, and 39 per cent said ‘Not sure’.

Despite one quarter of respondents not planning on voting, 94 per cent said the right to vote was an important element of New Zealand democracy.

In the last election, 37 per cent of young people chose not to vote.