If you need to register to vote, or you need to change your to your new address, then you have until 8pm local time Monday, April 7 to enrol.
If you will be 18 by or on May 3, 2025 then you have the right to vote in this upcoming election and you have only a few days left to get yourself registered.
Maya Francis-Green, who grew up in South Golden, and is now studying engineering at Melbourne University told The Echo that ‘for me the biggest reason young people should vote is because we’re going to inherit the planet that is coping the repercussions of burning fossil fuels. So voting for people that will employ policies and mechanisms that support a renewable energy transition is one of the most important things you can do.
‘That also goes for other social issues and it’s really worth young people engaging with society in that way because government policy shapes the world we live in for better or worse.’
Olive, 18, from Mullumbimby agrees saying that ‘Having a say is better than nothing and my vote will count towards the future’.
For 18-year-old Matt from Ocean Shores he says it wasn’t until Trump got in that he really started to try and work out what politics was about.
‘While learning about politics I only then started to understand how much impact politicians have over our lives, as well as our friends and families. I realised that I can either continue listening to headlines and be scared for our future, or make a difference and positive impact by getting involved and voting.’
18-year-old Jade agrees saying that, ‘the circumstance of this vote makes us more responsible to have a say.’
For a seat like Richmond that only needs small swing to change, or keep, your member of parliament it means that your vote makes a real difference to the outcome of who gets elected and who runs the country. The seat of Page has swung between the National Party and Labor but has been held by the National Party since 2013.
To register to vote go to https://www.aec.gov.au/enrol. If you need to change your address so that you are voting in the correct electorate go to: https://www.aec.gov.au/enrol/update-my-details.htm.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
