Army of under-18 Yes campaigners hoping to turn referendum tide
An army of Sydney-based under 18 Yes campaigners in Sydney are hoping to turn the tide on the voice referendum, as support for the No vote strengthens.
The Yes campaign is hoping an army of under-18 volunteers can help convince the adults in their lives to back the Indigenous voice, as support for No strengthens in the polls.
In Sydney’s inner city, mirrored across the country, students have learned the tricks of the trade in leafleting, door knocking and campaigning to try and convince swing voters to put a Yes on the ballot.
A vote, to their chagrin, they cannot cast themselves.
“We still have the power to talk to people around us about why they should vote Yes,” said 17-year-old Rosanna Cartwright, who is juggling her International Baccalaureate with door knocks and leafleting.
The youth drive – U18 For Yes23 – drew on Yes23’s materials, tweaking them for under-18 campaigners, and has since created a national platform for students across Australia to download the body of leaflets or register to volunteer.
Its Sydney-based group, however, is the first during the referendum to organise itself into a fully fledged youth-focussed Yes campaign arm, and launched on Sunday with the help of Yes23 spokeswoman Karen Mundine.
The cohort of under-18s hit the heavy-footfall spots across Sydney’s inner west, with specifically designed Yes materials for young campaigners.
The area has a high proportion of Asian migrants and Asian-Australians, and previous coverage highlighted referendum misinformation on popular community groups, such as WeChat.
“There’s a lot of misinformation out there, so we thought we could be a friendly face, talking to people about the importance of voting Yes,” Ms Cartwright said.
School captain Venkat Mallemala said he wanted to change people’s minds, and votes.
“We’ve still got an ability to use our own voice to support the voice, so I’ve talked with my friends, family, and even our teachers,” the 17-year-old said.
The initiative came after discussions within the local NSW MP’s youth advisory board, run by Jason Yat-sen Li.
“This shouldn’t be a ‘politicians campaign’, it should be authentic and community-driven,” the Strathfield Labor MP said.
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