In Bosnian society, young people are often characterized by the public as passive actors in society who are not interested in politics and political processes. There is a negative attitude about the participation of young people in the elections, although official election statistics say the opposite.
In the 2020 local elections, every second young person who had the right to vote (51.44%) voted, and more than 20% of candidates to whom citizens could give their vote were young people.
The statistics of the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina from year-to-year show that young people, whether they exercise their right to vote or the right to be elected, participate significantly and are an important part of the election process.
The fact that young people are interested in participating in democratic processes is also shown by the results of the only comprehensive research on the position and needs of young people conducted in the last 13 years. The research was done by the Institute for Youth Development KULT. Over 40% of young people recognize voting in elections as an effective, and 15% of young people as a very effective way to achieve social change.
The participation of young people in the election process was discussed at today’s meeting of the Institute for Youth Development KULT and the representative of the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mrs. Vanja Bjelica – Prutina and Mrs. Zehra Tepić.
The meeting also discussed ways to improve and strengthen cooperation, and joint activities aimed at motivating young people to participate in elections, as well as bringing closer and promoting elections and the electoral process to young people.
