In the 2015 federal election, voter turnout among both youth and the general population increased for the first time in 20 years. Voter turnout increased from 61% in the 2011 election to 68% in the 2015 election. The youth vote, which includes voters aged 18-29, increased by 15%, from 42% to 57%. According to the Samara Centre for Democracy, the 2015 election was more engaging for youth in Canada because it had a fixed date, allowing people to better familiarize themselves with candidates. This also corresponded with an increase in advanced polling stations and voting stations on campus, making voting more accessible to youth.

As we approach the 2019 federal election, students, especially those voting for the first time, need to ask themselves some important questions: Who can we trust to represent youth on major issues in Canada, such as the environment, affordability, and reconciliation? How has youth engagement worked in the past and how we can improve barriers to voting? And how can we force all the parties to pay attention to issues important to youth and respond accordingly, especially after the election?

Trust

Trust is hard to establish, especially for politicians. How can we make sure that the candidate or party that we are voting for is genuinely committed to issues important to young voters? If we know that they are committed, how can we make sure that pro-youth voices are amplified? Fourth year U of T student Louis Vatrt believes that the best way for undecided voters to get more informed is to “pay attention to a wide variety of media sources… [and] for those that are undecided, read the literature and policy from each party. You can even take quizzes online to determine who best aligns with your values.” 

Trust is hard to establish, especially for politicians. How can we make sure that the candidate or party that we are voting for is genuinely committed to issues important to young voters? If we know that they are committed, how can we make sure that pro-youth voices are amplified? Fourth year U of T student Louis Vatrt believes that the best way for undecided voters to get more informed is to “pay attention to a wide variety of media sources… [and] for those that are undecided, read the literature and policy from each party. You can even take quizzes online to determine who best aligns with your values.” 

Another tempting, if controversial, option is strategic voting. For example, if you typically support the New Democratic Party (NDP) but your riding is in a tight race between the Liberals and Conservatives, strategic voting suggests you should vote for your second-choice party instead of your first. This would give you a greater chance of getting some representation of your views, even if it is not ideal. The main criticism of strategic voting is that you are not making a genuine vote for your party of choice. This does a couple of things: one, it underrepresents the true level of support a party has in a riding; and two, it shows that you are willing to compromise on your values, a sign of disillusionment with the system as a whole.

To avoid the pitfalls of strategic voting, you should read the policies of every party, decide which party aligns with your values most, and then vote on that basis. For second year student Hikmat Jamal, this means that candidates need to have “tangible policy and not feel-good sentiment.” For Jamal, this includes climate change, which requires “a radical shift that many young people want to see… [t]his issue stands out for young people plainly because it is our future.” Although strategic voting is an option, it may be one you need to consider cautiously, since you might end up disillusioned with who you elect. However, once you find a party that aligns with your beliefs, the next step is to figure out how you can vote for them.

Voting

Voting, especially in post-secondary environments, can be logistically challenging. Whether you have changed your home riding or not, or you have other barriers to voting, it can be frustrating. How can you vote for the party you want if you cannot find a polling station? Or maybe you would have to skip class to drive or fly to your hometown and vote. Or maybe the election falls on a religious holiday for you (it does this year). What do you do?

The first thing you can do is check whether you are registered to vote. After that, you should receive a voter information card in the mail, or you can check Elections Canada’s voter information service online to check where your polling station will be. You then have multiple options to cast your vote. You can vote on-campus (a successful initiative started by Elections Canada in 2015), in your home riding, or through advanced voting. These options are meant to reduce barriers to voting. 

Although admittedly not ideal, there are other options available to students. If you have lived in your riding of residence long enough to be registered, and have proof of name and address, you are good to go. The third option is to cast your vote in advance. For Jewish students, this is especially important since October 21, 2019, represents the observance of Shemini Atzeret. Vatrt recommends that those students impacted by barriers look for “all possible options to vote early (ex. voting at [an] Elections Canada office, advance polls, campus voting, or vote by mail).” These various advanced voting methods are meant to reduce barriers to voting and increase overall turnout. 

Engagement

Once you know who to vote for and how to vote, next you have to determine your level of engagement before, during, and after the election. Meaningful political participation involves far more than voting at the ballots every few years (think about the Global Climate Strike as a recent example). Engaging in politics as a youth voter is tough. For many young people, their first political experience might just follow whatever party their friends or family support. As you learn more about politics and get to know more people who can make a difference, it becomes a lot more fun to get involved in politics. 

Vatrt is an example of someone who has not only been involved through voting but through campaigning as well. When asked about why he gets involved in political campaigns, he explained that “when you’re given an opportunity to directly participate in the electoral process and how we choose government, it’s just too good to pass [up].” 

My own experience getting involved in politics has been informative as well. I simply had a Twitter account (now inactive), where I followed and engaged with the right people, and then all of a sudden I ended up volunteering for four different political campaigns within the span of a year. However, voting and political campaigning are only two ways to be engaged. The third way is protesting. 

Peaceful protesting is among the most effective ways to make your voice heard—whether something will be done about it is another matter. There is strength in numbers, but what you say, where you say it, and who you say it to is more important. Effective protests have often forced politicians to listen to their messages, either changing or repealing their laws as a result. Examples include India’s Salt Law, the United States’ Civil Rights Act, and Canada’s Idle No More movement, an ongoing protest aimed at Indigenous sovereignty, environmental protection, and social equality. India’s case led to independence from Britain, the American case led to desegregation, and the Canadian case has led to greater visibility for Indigenous issues.

Where does that leave us? In the 2015 election, over half of young people voted. The barriers to access that many youth previously faced—short campaigns, no fixed date, and few advanced polls—were reduced in 2015. In 2019, some of these barriers will be reduced further, some will not. This year the campaign will be about 40 days, as opposed to the 2015 campaign of 78 days. There has also been an increase in on-campus advance polls. So what does this mean for youth? With the tools to determine the best candidates to represent them, a knowledge of where and how to vote, and a desire to remain engaged outside of the ballot box, the youth of today and tomorrow will be prepared to build a stronger Canada together.