CANDIDATES IGNORE YOUTH VOTERS AT THEIR PERIL

Canada's young people displayed a sizable voting strength in the 2015 federal election where 57.1 per cent of youth showed up to the polls, an 18 per cent increase from the 2011 election.

But the trend over the last four decades has seen first-time voter turnout for youths drop from 73 per cent in 1965 to 44 per cent in 1997.

Daunte Hillen is one of those few young people who is getting an early education in politics and will be an eager voter in the next election. A volunteer for NDP candidate Monique Taylor, the incumbent representative for the Hamilton Mountain riding, Hillen said politicians need to talk to younger people about issues.

"Some of these younger people might be the next premier of Ontario or a candidate," he said.

Among eligible youth 18 to 24, 66 per cent cast a ballot in the 2021 federal election down two per cent points compared with 2019. However, Ontario has seen higher youth voter turnout rates in the 77 per cent range over the last several elections. According to the most recent census, there are over 3.5 million Ontario residents between the ages of 18 and 25.

Hillen, 14, who will be entering Sherwood Secondary School in September, said he learned about Ontario politics as a page in the legislature.

The page program accepts about 150 young students from across Ontario to experience the four-week term that the provincial legislature is in action.

"I picked up things and followed different politicians," he said.

In school, youths learn about civic government in Grade 5 and then Grade 10.

Hillen acknowledged that while he keeps up-to-date on municipal and provincial politics, he sees federal politics as less interesting.

Elections Canada discovered in its 2015 National Youth Survey that there were two major barriers that prevented youth from voting: motivation and access. Other reasons that were identified include: less interest in Canadian politics, the belief that voting doesn't makes a difference, the belief that government doesn't care what they think and the tendency to see voting as a choice rather than a duty. Young voters also did not receive a voter information card, were less aware of the ways to register and vote and found that voting was too difficult.

Candidates usually limit their youth issues, focusing only on lower tuition, says activists, but youths are interested in a variety of causes including environment, housing, affordability, jobs and wages.

Hillen said the issues that he would like to see parties address include affordable housing, the rising cost of living, mental health, education, climate change and Indigenous issues.

"I know the NDP has a very good plan," he said. "I would like to see them get the plan moving and don't wait. Do whatever you can."

Earlier this month, more than 70 people gathered in downtown Hamilton for a rally sponsored by the Justice4Work campaign to support various ideas such as decent work, higher minimum wage and paid sick days. These are issues that they say are supported by the NDP and opposed by the Progressive Conservatives, while the Liberals back some of the issues - such as paid sick days and protecting gig workers. For the Green Party, there are more question marks than answers, except the party does endorse paid sick days.

Future Majority, a national, non-partisan, non-profit youthbased civic engagement organization, says on its website that it wants to make sure politicians start paying attention to young voters who compose about 40 per cent of the electorate. It says that candidates do not seek out young people, a strategy that has resulted in declining voter participation by young people.

It also endorses lowering the voting age to 16 to ensure youth issues are addressed by politicians.