83% of young Irish people plan to vote in Friday’s general election

Pollsters are anticipating a massive turnout from the youth vote during Ireland’s general election on Friday – as high as 83% of registered voters between the ages of 18 and 35.

Five hundred people from that demographic were surveyed by Thinkhouse, a youth communications agency.

They found that – thanks in large part to last year’s marriage equality referendum – 92% of those surveyed were registered to vote. Of those registered, 83% said they would be voting in the general election, which would be a very significant increase from the 2011 election, where overall voter turnout hovered around 70%.

Among those surveyed, Ireland’s economy was the most frequently selected “issue that will have the biggest effect on their lives,” and other issues important to voters polled included homelessness, the refugee crisis and repealing the 8th amendment, which bans abortion.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, social media was the main source of election information for those polled, with 70% citing it as their primary source.

However, it appears that even though Ireland’s youth demographic understands the importance of voting, they are not wholly satisfied with the candidates this election cycle. Close to half of those surveyed - 45% - said they do “not like any of the main leaders,” and 60% said they would be voting for “non-traditional parties.”