This article examines the mechanisms shaping electoral participation among first-time voters through a comparative analysis of Romania and Austria. Based on the premise that showing up at the first vote is a critical moment in forming civic habits, the study explores how institutional frameworks, family-based socialization, and digital environments interact to affect early democratic engagement. Drawing on theories of political socialization, voting habit formation, and civic voluntarism, the article advances an integrative explanatory model that connects formal and informal dimensions of participation. The findings reveal a stark contrast between the two cases. In Austria, early voting rights, applied civic education, and institutionalized mobilization strategies create a coherent civic ecosystem that supports youth participation. In Romania, weak civic education, limited institutional support, and fragmented digital engagement result in high reliance on family-based socialization and contribute to persistent youth demobilization. The study concludes that electoral participation at the first vote is not merely a procedural act, but the outcome of a cumulative social and institutional process.

(DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18034769)