MEMBERS OF THE EXPERT COUNCIL UNDER THE CENTRAL 

ELECTION COMMISSION DISCUSSED CURRENT ISSUES

 IN DEVELOPING THE ELECTORAL CULTURE 

OF YOUNG AND FUTURE VOTERS

Today, an expanded meeting of the Expert Council under the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan was held at the Commission's headquarters. The meeting focused on issues related to developing the electoral culture of young and future voters in Kazakhstan.

The meeting was attended by members of the Expert Council under the СEC RK, representatives of the Ministries of Culture and Information, Education, and Science and Higher Education, as well as representatives of Young Voters Clubs from Astana and Almaty. Participants examined issues related to the culture of participation and trust among today’s youth, the legal dimensions of electoral culture, and discussed the importance of institutions in fostering electoral culture.

In his opening remarks, Nurlan Abdirov noted that the Central Election Commission has been carrying out systematic work to develop electoral culture among young people. One of the outcomes of these efforts is the development of a corresponding action plan, which involves not only the Central Election Commission but also other relevant government bodies.

“We proceed from the understanding that young people are the country’s key electoral resource. Our systematic efforts to engage young and future voters have a long-standing history dating back to 2022. During this period, more than 50 open meetings in a question-and-answer format have been held across all regions of the country, reaching over 8,000 young people. In February of this year, with the aim of coordinating the efforts of government bodies and ensuring a unified approach, we submitted a proposal to the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan to develop a comprehensive set of systematic measures in this area. Our initiative received full support from government bodies, and work was subsequently launched. The Central Election Commission has developed a draft of its own ‘Action Plan for Developing the Electoral Culture of Young and Future Voters for 2026-2028’, which we are presenting today to the members of the Expert Council for discussion, proposals and recommendations,” Nurlan Abdirov emphasized.

In her presentation, CEC member Lyazzat Suyindik reported on the activities and achievements of 248 Young Voters Clubs operating under election commissions across all regions of the country, as well as the importance of cooperation between the Central Election Commission and relevant ministries. She highlighted a number of initiatives implemented by Club members and outlined strategic priorities for interagency cooperation in the field of electoral education for young people.

“The Government-approved Action Plan for Developing Electoral Culture among Young People includes 32 activities across five key areas, ranging from electoral education and the development of youth self-governance to improving media literacy and expanding youth participation in public life. Importantly, we have succeeded in bringing together the efforts of government bodies and election commissions within a single framework. At the same time, we regard this Plan not as a final document, but as a foundation for further joint efforts. We propose exploring the possibility of concluding a multilateral memorandum of cooperation on developing electoral culture among young people between the Central Election Commission, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, and the Ministry of Culture and Information. The key priority is to ensure continuity in electoral education, so that the foundational knowledge acquired at school is further developed at university and put into practice through young people’s independent civic engagement,” Lyazzat Suyindik noted.

The CEC member put forward a number of specific proposals, including introducing the study of citizens’ electoral rights into the curriculum for middle school students and updating existing educational content for high school students. The Central Election Commission also expressed its readiness to support the publication of a guide on conducting school elections in accordance with the principles governing electoral campaigns in the country.

Another area of focus is the creation and dissemination of accessible educational content for children through social media and television channels, covering electoral rights, voting principles, and the importance of elections. It was also proposed to introduce specific priorities and target indicators for research on electoral law and electoral culture when determining the thematic areas of grant funding for scientific research. In addition, participants suggested exploring opportunities to support election-related initiatives through existing mechanisms of state social contracting, grant funding, and creative industry development.

During the discussion, members of the Expert Council presented several initiatives aimed at expanding the formats of electoral education for young people. In particular, Yerlan Buzurbayev proposed supplementing the Plan with sociological research to assess young people’s level of electoral knowledge, their interests, and their preferred formats for receiving information. This would help identify target groups more accurately and make educational activities more effectively tailored to their needs.

Banu Nurgaziyeva, President of the Civil Alliance of Kazakhstan, proposed creating a dedicated section on the CEC website that would bring together educational materials, videos, and quizzes on electoral law, with the option of obtaining certificates. She also emphasized the importance of cooperation between election commissions and civil society.

Indira Aubakirova, a member of the Expert Council, Professor at the Academy of Law Enforcement Agencies under the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and Doctor of Law, emphasized the importance of developing young people’s ability to make informed choices through modern digital formats, including short videos. Other initiatives included establishing a dedicated educational platform for young people, taking into account differences between urban and rural youth, and expanding the CEC’s partnerships with youth organizations and political parties.

Yermek Abdrassulov, a member of the Expert Council, Director of the Institute of Constitutionalism and Digital Law at L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, and Doctor of Law, advocated the development of electoral volunteering as a means of engaging young people in electoral processes. In his view, such an initiative would enable young citizens to gain experience in civic activities and subsequently participate in elections, including as election observers.

Marat Kogamov, a member of the Expert Council, Doctor of Law and Professor, emphasized the need to strengthen the theoretical foundations of electoral culture development, including in view of its significance for national security.

Representatives of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, and the Ministry of Culture and Information also addressed the Expert Council meeting. They outlined ongoing efforts to foster and develop electoral culture among school and university students and provided updates on the implementation of the Action Plan aimed at enhancing electoral culture among young people.

In addition, Bauyrzhan Makhanbet, a member of the Almaty Young Voters Club, shared his views on the Club’s role in fostering electoral culture among young people in Almaty, while Temerlan Makubayev, a member of the Astana Young Voters Club, discussed the specific aspects of developing electoral culture through peer-to-peer dialogue among young people.

The meeting materials, participants’ reports, and presentations are available in a dedicated section of the Central Election Commission’s official website at the following link: https://www.election.gov.kz/rus/ekspertno-metodicheskiy-sovet/