Why Voting Matters
Political campaigns in this upcoming election tend to target seniors and middle-class hard-working families, because most of the voting population comes from these demographics. Little efforts are being made to entice young people because they are less likely to vote and make up less of the voting population than in past years. It seems that the less young people vote, the less the parties reach out to them, which results in young people becoming even more disengaged (The Globe and Mail, 2015). Young people have historically voted less than their elders, but it is becoming common that this demographic don't begin to vote as they get older, causing the average participation rate to gradually drop.
In 2011, 60% of eligible voters actually voted. It’s common for young people to be apathetic toward voting because they think their vote won’t make a difference, however, if 60% of youth eligible to vote, actually voted (38% voted in 2011), pollster Nik Nanos suspects that the outcome of the 2011 election would have been different (CBC News, 2014). Seniors and middle-class working families tend to be more interested in jobs and health care while young people tend to show more interest toward education and the environment. So an increase of 20% in young voters could make a significant difference in the upcoming 2015 election. In the article Nik Nanos also suggests that older Canadians are less hopeful to find solutions, but younger people are more confident in finding solutions.Therefore, by getting young people interested in participating in the conversations, we could dramatically reshape their tone and our nation.
In 2011, 60% of eligible voters actually voted. It’s common for young people to be apathetic toward voting because they think their vote won’t make a difference, however, if 60% of youth eligible to vote, actually voted (38% voted in 2011), pollster Nik Nanos suspects that the outcome of the 2011 election would have been different (CBC News, 2014). Seniors and middle-class working families tend to be more interested in jobs and health care while young people tend to show more interest toward education and the environment. So an increase of 20% in young voters could make a significant difference in the upcoming 2015 election. In the article Nik Nanos also suggests that older Canadians are less hopeful to find solutions, but younger people are more confident in finding solutions.Therefore, by getting young people interested in participating in the conversations, we could dramatically reshape their tone and our nation.