This has prompted headlines in the media, as well as coverage from social media influencers detailing the demographic shift underway in the nation’s electoral landscape.

Which raises an interesting question of how has the electoral power of each generation has shifted over the last 20 years and to what degree is that reflected when looking at static age demographics such as 35 to 54, instead of just the named generations which are very much a moving target over the decades.

The Change By Generation

We start today’s walk through historical electoral demographics at the 2007 election. At this time roughly half of Gen Y wasn’t old enough to vote yet and the eldest member of Gen Z was just 10 years of age.

Of the 14.1 million Australians who made up the electorate at the time, roughly 34.2 per cent were Baby Boomers, along with 28.2 per cent from Gen X and 23.2 from the so-called silent generation or older (Silent generation were born between 1928 and 1945).

Over the next 18 years the share of electorate held by various different age demographics has changed dramatically.

As of the latest Australian Electoral Commission data which covers up to close of registration for voting at the upcoming election, of the 18.1 million people registered to vote, the breakdown is as follows:

Silent Generation & Older: 7.2 per cent

Baby Boomers: 24.0 per cent

Gen X: 25.7 per cent

Gen Y: 26.9 per cent

Gen Z: 16.2 per cent

If we shift the perspective to look at the breakdown in a slightly different way, at the 2007 election, the elements of electorate made up of Baby Boomers and older held 57.4 per cent of the vote.

With this collection of demographics holding a majority of the generational firepower at the ballot box until the 2013 election.

Today the Baby Boomers and older demographic holds 31.2 per cent of the vote.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum the share of the vote held by Gen Y and younger has risen from 14.4 per cent at the 2007 election to 43.1 per cent at the upcoming election.

A Reality Check

While it may seem like we are entering an era of the pendulum of electoral age demographics swinging back toward younger generations, the reality is in stark contrast to the headlines.

Its not that younger people are gaining additional leverage through demographic shifts at the ballot box, it’s that generations thought of as young are getting older.

This year, the eldest members of Gen Y turn 45, Gen Z turn 28 and Gen X turn 61.

If the breakdown is shifted away from the generational divides as we know them to instead look at what proportion of the electorate is under 35, it reveals that 25.8 per cent of voters fit this criteria.

This is actually down from the 27.5 per cent of voters under 35 at the 2007 election.

If we then shift the focus to the proportion of the electorate that is 55 or over, it reveals the growing expansion of this demographics electoral leverage has continued to grow and grow over the last 20 years of federal elections.

In 2007, people 55 and over made up 36.3 per cent of the electorate, with that figure rising to 40.5 per cent as of the latest data.

It’s not just the under 35 demographic that has seen its collective level of generational leverage at the ballot get eroded over time. In 2007, the proportion of the electorate aged 35 to 54 accounted for 36.9 per cent of the total.

As of today, that figure has fallen to 33.8 per cent.

Evolution Of Views

As people age their priorities and political allegiances in aggregate evolve.

This is illustrated quite nicely by Newspoll breaking down their result by age demographic.

In the 18 to 34 demographic which is roughly half Gen Z and half younger Gen Y, Labor and the Greens combined get the first preference vote of 61% of people.

In the 35 to 49 demographic which is roughly two thirds Gen Y and one third younger Gen X’s, Labor and the Greens get the first preference vote of 49% of respondents.

By the time the 50 to 64 demographic is reached, which compromises a little over two thirds Gen X and one third younger Boomers, the Coalition and One Nation get the first preference vote of 49% of respondents.

Once upon a time the Baby Boomer generation was an engine of profound and transformative political change, whereas today a sizeable majority place their support behind parties that espouse conservative values.

But that is nothing new. Philosophers have been noting the psychological tilt toward conservatism in age for thousands of years.

Putting It All Together

We ironically have two very different conclusions to take away from today’s analysis.

When viewed through the lens of the divide between the named generational groups, Gen Y and Z are reaching new heights in terms of the share of the vote they possess when contrasted with Baby Boomers.

On the other hand, when viewing through the lens of simple age brackets, we are seeing quite the opposite of the commonly held perception.

Instead, under 35’s are seeing their share of the electoral pie continue to dwindle in size, while the slice held by those 55 and over continues to power to ever greater heights.

While it may seem like the day of younger demographics has come at last, the age of the average voter continues to rise (now almost 50) and the balance of the electorate continues to shift toward older demographics.

Tarric Brooker is a freelance journalist and social commentator | @AvidCommentator