This article deals with the issue of the youth vote in Africa, by analyzing three cases of consolidated electoral democracies. In particular, when the pattern of the young African vote is compared to that found in more advanced democracies this article calls into question the existence of a youth specificity. In Africa, most of the votes are cast by young electors. In the three cases under analysis, young voters’ turnout does not significantly distinguish from elders’ turnout, although trends of a certain discontinuity and the inclination to vote for oppositions are also identified. Compared to certain established trends found in literature, the youth vote would also be less driven by patronage or ethnicity. Finally, the frequent renewal of the electorate does not significantly impact on the electoral offer, nor the degree of representation obtained by younger voters, as the political class remains significantly older.
