It is generally stated that the youth is less involved in their country’s political activity. The abstention rate among young citizens is getting higher at each political event. Yet, they are not disinterested, but rather disconnected from this obsolete world.
One way to make politics more accessible to the youth (and a larger target overall) is a civic tech (or civic technology). It is a way to use digital tools to engage people and make it more dynamic.
It can take multiple shapes, uses, and ends. Let’s take the example of Estonia. In 2005, the country has implemented e-voting. The citizens can vote from their own devices at home for local and national elections.
Other examples of use could be a strengthened link between the government and the citizen through online consultation. Multiple countries have online platforms where citizens can get informed on a specific subject and give their opinion. Others can suggest their local leaders ideas to implement or action to take.
These last few years, a couple of digital tools got really popular in France. LaPrimaire.org was a website where citizens could choose the candidate who would represent them in the 2017 presidential elections. It was a way to choose your candidate instead of being imposed one of the major political parties. Though it wasn’t a massive success, the idea was taken up again for the 2022 elections. The “Primaire Populaire” was a means to choose a candidate to represent the left wing. Anyone could suggest a candidate online. The other main point was that a base of political actions and values was decided beforehand by the citizens.
Elyze was an app developed at the same time, for the 2022 presidential and legislative elections. It was a way to learn more about each candidate’s electoral program and help the young voters choose a candidate.
