Believe it or not, we’re told that there are more than 4,000 young people out there in Melbourne alone who aren’t on the electoral roll, and many more who aren’t enrolled correctly. This effectively means that a big chunk of Gen Y isn’t having active input into Australia’s democratic process. In fact, in the lead-up to the 2007 Federal Election the ABC reported that as many as one fifth of Australians under the age of 25 don’t vote, or deliberately vote informally meaning their vote doesn’t count.
In North America the nonpartisan not-for-profit Rock The Vote sprung up almost 40 years ago in Canada and 20 years ago in the USA with the mission to engage and build political power among young people. The effects have been huge, with large increases in the youth vote being directly linked with Rock The Vote activities. Bandt, although evidently party aligned, has embraced the mission and is hoping that Enrol. Party. Vote In Melbourne. will help young people leverage their power in the political process, whatever their political persuasion.
The aim is to make sure all young people can participate in this year’s election, avoid the fines that come with a failure to vote, and have a say in who represents them in Canberra. “The statistics are alarming – hundreds of thousands of young people aren’t enrolled to vote across the country,” says Bandt. “When the election comes around this September it’s their future that’s being decided so they need to decide who their voice in parliament is.
“Young people need to enrol to make a difference. Young people in Fitzroy sharehouses or university colleges are often not enrolled to vote. We’re running an active campaign to get young people enrolled, using doorknocking and social media,” says Bandt.
One such young person is Ruthi Hambling, who is working with Bandt’s office to coordinate a broader Enrol To Vote campaign amongst Melbourne’s youth. She’s been pounding the pavement over the past couple of months at street stalls, uni campuses and o-week events and shows no sign of stopping now. “The vibe is pretty great in Melbourne – contrary to stereotypes about apathetic youth, we’re finding that young people really do want to have their say and want their politicians to listen,” says Hambling. “We know that these politicians are making big decisions and we’ll have to inherit their effects, so we want them to be smart about it and listen to us. Enrolling to vote is the first step in that process.”
Enrol. Party. Vote In Melbourne. will feature DJ Jones Thugs’n’Harmony, Rosefacekillah, and Rad Bromance, plus a special appearance by the Real Hot Bitches ’80s dance crew. The link between music and elections isn’t a new one. Barack Obama himself had a series of gigs and stadium concerts prior to his last election win, with artists including Jay-Z, Beyonce and Bruce Springsteen backing his re-election bid, and here in Australia triple j has partnered with the Australian Electoral Commission over several years to promote enrolments via the Rock Enrol project.
“If Rad Bromance’s commitment to appalling ‘90s dance hits can inspire that generation to enrol to vote…together we can change the future,” says Clem Bastow, one half of the DJ duo. In doing so, she’s following in the steps of the likes of The Ramones, Chris Cornell, Justin Timberlake, Against Me!, Madonna, and P. Diddy – encouraging us all to make the most of our citizenship in an amazing democracy.
BY JOSH FERGEUS
