EIGHTEEN-year-old Anja Green is looking forward to voting in her first Federal election on Saturday, August 21.
The second year Rosny College student said voting was important for a range of reasons.
“It is the first time you get to have your say, express a view and have some influence,” she said.
Eighteen-year-old Rosny College student Anja Green says voting is important for a number of reasons.
“It is also the first time you think about yourself and how your vote affects you rather than how voting may affect your parents.”
Anja is one of more than 5000 18-year-old Tasmanians who will vote in the August Federal election.
In Tasmania, nearly 358,000 people are enrolled to vote.
Anja said she was interested in politics, but particularly issues that impacted on young people and students.
“I think that there are many 18-year-olds interested in politics,” she said.
“Just like there are some adults who are really interested, there are young people very interested in the political process.”
Anja, who plans to study in Melbourne next year, said she hoped to see some real action on climate change, and also listed health as a major election issue.
Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) acting state manager Sandra Riordan said more than 14 million people throughout Australia were enrolled to vote on 21 August.
“The AEC in Tasmania had a steady stream of people visiting our offices to enrol to vote once the election was called,” she said.
Ms Riordan said it was good that young people like Anja wanted to participate in the democratic process.
“Ninety six per cent of Tasmanians are on the roll, which is ahead of the national average,” she said.
For further information about voting, visit www.aec.gov.au or call the AEC on 13 23 26.
