Australian Election Preview: Record number of young people have registered to vote

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If Australia's major parties hope to be successful in this month's federal election, they'll have to win over a growing segment of the voting population. That's because a record number of young people have registered to vote - nearly 750,000 more than the last federal election. Greg Navarro has the story.

In a makeshift studio inside a Sydney apartment.

The inaugural podcast of Politically Fit is launched and aimed squarely at the country's younger voters.

Its timing couldn't be better with a record almost 90% of young Australians registered to vote in this month's federal election.

SKYE RIGGS FOUNDER, Y VOTE "While there is a lot of work that our politicians need to do, to do better to represent our voices, we also need to take responsibility as citizens and I think getting informed is a big part of that."

GREG NAVARRO SYDNEY "One reason for the increase in young people registering to vote in this country can be traced back to 2017, when Australians were asked whether they supported same sex marriage."

Same sex marriage was eventually legalised.

SKYE RIGGS FOUNDER, Y VOTE "I think we saw that because it is much easier to see how our vote can make a difference on an issue to issue level than when you are just voting on the whole of the government."

Some people believe there are signs that the major parties are starting to pay attention to some of the concerns of younger voters.

KATIE ACHESON CHAIR, AUSTRALIAN YOUTH COALITION "They've started talking about jobs, they've started talking about youth unemployment and the job creation for young people, you are seeing labor looking at housing affordability and mental health and talking about things that young people care about."

That includes climate change which is receiving increasing attention on the campaign trail.

MARK ROLFE LECTURER, UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES "We've seen droughts, we've seen fires, devastating fires occurring in winter so when you get this sort of context happening, not only in Australia but around the world, that changes the minds of many people."

It is unclear just how much of a force younger voters will prove to be in this year's federal election.

STEWART JACKSON LECTURER, UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY "They may very well shift one or 2 seats where there are lots of young people, the question, of course, is are they going to make a big difference, is there going to be enough of them, to say, swing Wentworth of North Sydney, which is unlikely."

SKYE RIGGS FOUNDER, Y VOTE "I don't think it is a fad or a blip that we are seeing young people get more involved, millennial are highly engaged in social issues, they are very much orientated towards using their power whether it be their career, volunteering through their personal time to create social change."

The hope here is that getting young voters engaged in the process now, especially in a country where voting is compulsory, means they will stay engaged and have an even greater impact on future elections. Greg Navarro, CGTN, Sydney.