USI expects voter turnout for young people to be larger than Marriage Equality referendum in 2015
The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) – which represents 374,000 students across Ireland – has said that the student turnout to vote ‘Yes’ to remove the Eighth Amendment will be the largest youth voter turnout for any referendum in the history of the state.
Speaking ahead of polls opening tomorrow, USI President Michael Kerrigan explained:
“Students know that their future is at stake here. We directly registered 26,979 new student voters in the lead up to this referendum to remove the Eighth Amendment, and we know from our two week roadshow on campuses that students are united on the issue, and will be voting ‘Yes’ for a more caring and compassionate Ireland.”
“Students’ Unions have held referendums on campus on the Eighth Amendment, and up to 92% of students across campuses voted ‘Yes’ for their Students’ Union to campaign to remove the Eighth Amendment. We’re expecting student turnout to be bigger than the Marriage Equality vote in 2015. With almost 125,000 new voter on the register, we expect the majority to be first time young voters.”
USI is the national representative body for the 374,000 students in third level education on the Island of Ireland, and is a member of the national civil society campaign, Together For Yes. USI has been campaigning for the decriminalisation of abortion in Ireland since 1979. In 2015, USI mobilised students to vote in Marriage Equality seeing the largest youth voter turnout for any vote in the history of the state.