Twitter says climate change action is the key election issue for young Australians, as the social media platform encourages first-time voters to share the issues most important to them.
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Twitter has partnered with YouGov to identify key differences on issues driving votes between older and younger generations.
With Gen Z and millennials to outnumber older generations by 2024, the research focuses on young Australians set to cast their vote for the first time.
Twitter encourages first-time voters to share the issues most important to them on the platform.
Twitter public policy director Kara Hinesley said the platform's mission was to "serve the public conversation" and that this mission was never more critical than during an election campaign.
"From first-time to seasoned voters, Twitter is a space for everyone to source information and diverse perspectives and to discuss the political issues, topics, and candidates that matter to them most," she said.
According to the data, 35 per cent of young people aged 18-24 say climate change action is the most important factor for them when casting their vote.
While only 11 per cent of voters over the age of 65 prioritise climate change action as a key election issue.
The oldest cohort of voters say the economy (28 per cent versus 19 per cent national average) and national security (14 per cent versus seven per cent national average) are the most important voting issues.
Twitter partnered with the Australian Electoral Commission to encourage young Australians to have their voice heard by enrolling to vote.
First-time voters are encouraged to share the political issues most important to them by using the hashtag #MyFirstDemocracySausage.
Since the election began, there have been over 1.3 million #Auspol related tweets.
This story is written by the author in a personal capacity.
Australian Associated Press
