37.12% of the electoral roll is made up of voters between 23 and 40 years of age. Millennials will thus have a greater impact on electoral results.
The main objective of the candidates in the sectional elections on February 5, 2023, will be millennial voters, who represent 37.12% of the voters.
In politics, since the previous sectionals, Ecuadorian millennials do not qualify as right or left, or even center. Most of them assure that they “have no political ideology”.
Although when choosing between liberalism and conservatism, they opt for the liberal side. Most define themselves as Catholic, play sports, have children and pets, have a partner and do not have a job with a fixed salary.
This is a generation that differs from its parents and grandparents (Generation ‘X’ and ‘Baby Boomers’) in important ways. Millennial voters grew up at a time of economic development, declining poverty rates, and increased access to education in the region.
Just as they witnessed the technological boom, which expanded the horizons of their own lives and of humanity in general, at an unprecedented speed.
But those gains have stalled in recent years.
Now millennials live in economic stagnation, social unrest, and widespread unrest, especially in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. For this reason, unemployment and the cost of living are their biggest concerns, and they suffer from a marked pessimism towards the future.
For example, since 2019, 77% of Ecuadorian millennials expected the country’s economic, political, and social situation to improve very little. And disenchantment is what prevails among these voters.
It will not be easy to convince millennial voters, especially since the widespread spite of the Ecuadorian voter is compounded by the crisis of political parties and movements, as well as their main figures.
In addition, the absence of a political culture in Ecuador means that, when voting, many times, there is no ideological coherence between the candidate, his proposals, his party and, finally, his voters.
The priorities in the sections
Added to this scenario is the particularity of the sectional elections. Since local authorities are those closest to the citizenry, be they prefects, mayors, councilors and members of parish councils.
And the problems in the cities will be a key factor in this electoral campaign, issues that are mainly in the hands of the municipal authorities. So the dispute will focus on the municipalities.
Issues such as roads, public transportation, drinking water, sewerage, waste collection, environmental sanitation, electricity, land use and management, vehicle registration, as well as local taxes, fees, and procedures are in your hands.
Therefore, the candidates must pay attention not only to the concerns of this generation, but to the issues that interest them such as climate change, sustainability, social impact, inclusion and diversity.
