Elections Canada is targeting youth this year in order to increase voter turnout. They brought ballots to students for the 2015 federal election campaign, hoping to boost youth votes.
At university campuses, colleges, Native Friendship Centres and some YMCAs, voting stations have been set up for quick and easy access to ballots. Pledges to vote have also been made to encourage and remind youth to vote.
According to Elections Canada, only about 38 per cent of 18-24 year olds voted in 2011.
So why is it so important for young people to vote? Because the turnout from youth is so minimal that politicians no longer make addressing youth a priority in their election campaigns.
Young people are the future, thus their indifference in politics is concerning. The lack of candidates’ focus on youth is equally concerning. How will Canada thrive in the future when the majority of youth is abstaining from voting and politicians are turning a blind eye to them because they don’t vote?
This year’s election campaign is the longest since 1872 and also the costliest. Prime Minister Steven Harper passed legislation last year causing campaign spending limits for parties and candidates to increase by 1/37th for every day longer than 37 days.
Jean-Pierre Kingsley, former chief electoral officer of Elections Canada said that tens of millions of dollars are also coming out of taxpayers’ pockets to pay for the longer election campaign.
While there are numerous downsides to a longer campaign, this 78-day election campaign period is so long that it should allow voters to make a thorough decision based on the candidates’ positions on several issues.
With issues like expensive housing, unpaid internships, struggles to find jobs and increasing tuition rates, youth should make their voice heard and become more politically informed, as it would force political candidates to appeal to a broader age range and tackle issues that are burdening youth.
Our future depends on your votes-the environment, our nation’s financial future, job growth, natural resources, and the very rights of our country’s backbone-visible minorities and immigrants-are things that your votes can impact in a meaningful way.
The QMI Agency has created this very helpful chart to help you see where each of our four major political parties stand on various issues-take a good look and see which party aligns best with your views, and make sure to do extra in-depth research so you can be confident in casting your ballot. One key thing to remember is that it is often rare to find a perfect fit, but that is not the point. Your voice still needs to be heard, because if yours is not, someone whose views may run in stark contrast to yours is certainly making sure theirs is. If young Canadians aren’t voting, this so-called democratic country won’t wholly serve its democratic function.
And as the saying goes, if you don’t vote, you don’t have the right to complain. (So vote!) -Election day is Monday, October 19th, 2015.