Youth vote, decisive for 2018 General Election

In Mexico, young voters are expected to have a decisive influence in the 2018 General Election since about 26.5 million citizens aged between 18 and 29 will be able to take their vote to the polls.

Figures indicate that potentially, Mexico is facing a new participation paradigm in which young people can make a difference, assures Macarita Elizondo Gasperín , professor at the National Autonomous University of Mexico ( UNAM ).

Young voters notoriously neglect the importance of voting

, "they do not have their voter ID, they do not study, they do not work, they do not care, they do not vote," yet their voice will be such an important one on 2018 General Election, says Macarita Elizondo Gasperín adding that the youth mobilizations after the earthquakes in September unveiled a part of the population that does participate and seeks information.

Mexico's Federal Registry of Voters

( RFE ) indicates that there are 26,517,000 citizens aged between 18 and 29 years in the nominal list of voters (the list which is used to identify voters and register their votes by electoral district), potential voters in the 2018 General Election which will be held on July 1.

According to Elizondo Gasperin, former councilor of the Federal Electoral Institute ( IFE ) until 2014, perhaps 16% ( about 14 million ) "could neglect abstentionism and hopefully the sad and pitiful schemes in which over 50% of young voters preferred to abstain rather than voting in past elections."

Key issues in 2018 General Election will relate to the concerns of the population between the ages of 18 and 29, making it essential for them to examine political issues and take to the polls.

"This young, thriving population who we thought was asleep, isolated and on the margin. It is flourishing, it is more alive than ever and it can make a difference," Elizondo Gasperin concludes.

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