Ionita: Every Third First-Time Young Voter Is Abroad

IDIS Viitorul expert Veaceslav Ionita estimates that 151 thousand young people will have the opportunity to vote for the first time in this year’s presidential elections in Moldova. According to the economist, though this figure is similar to the 2020 figure, it is important to note that there are only 97,000 in the country and 53,000 young people abroad, unimedia.info reported. “151,000 young people will be able to choose their president for the first time. We know from previous experience that only one out of two young people decides to go to the polls. Moreover, the level of youth participation is 25% lower than the national average. This should not surprise us: for many young people, politics is a new, uncharted territory, and interacting with electoral processes may seem difficult,” Veaceslav Ionita said. The expert also had a message for young people who will be able to participate in elections for the first time this year: “This year you have received a new right: the right to elect the president of the country. Use this right wisely for yourselves and for the good of Moldova.” A referendum on Moldova’s accession to the European Union and presidential elections will be held on 20 October after the Constitutional Court ruled that the organization of the plebiscite is constitutional.