{"id":15515,"date":"2025-02-09T10:09:48","date_gmt":"2025-02-09T10:09:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/torontotribune.ca\/index.php\/2025\/02\/09\/do-youth-still-care-how-to-get-the-youth-to-vote-more-in-ontario\/"},"modified":"2025-02-09T10:09:48","modified_gmt":"2025-02-09T10:09:48","slug":"do-youth-still-care-how-to-get-the-youth-to-vote-more-in-ontario","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/torontotribune.ca\/index.php\/2025\/02\/09\/do-youth-still-care-how-to-get-the-youth-to-vote-more-in-ontario\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Do youth still care?\u2019 How to get the youth to vote more in Ontario"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Despite facing critical issues like student debt, job insecurity, and housing unaffordability, many of which are shaped by provincial policies, young Ontarians continue to have the lowest voter turnout of any demographic.<\/p>\n

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In the last federal elections, turnout among voters between the ages of 18 and 24 was below 54 per cent, dropping to just 47 per cent in the 2021 snap election, according to Elections Canada data.<\/p>\n

The recent decline highlights growing concerns about voter engagement, and why the majority of voters in the 18 to 24 demographics are not showing up to vote.<\/p>\n

Jaden Braves, 16, CEO of Young Politicians of Canada, says young people don\u2019t see the point in voting because they feel political parties fail to take action.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a lack of hope, a lot of pessimism and misinformation. Nobody seems to be taking action,\u201d he says. \u201cYoung people don\u2019t trust the system.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A survey conducted by Young Politicians of Canada found that 70 per cent of youth have actively advocated for issues they care about, but the majority of them do not vote.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are protesting and advocating for causes we care about, but don\u2019t believe voting will lead to real change,\u201d added Braves.<\/p>\n

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Social media plays a major role in shaping political awareness with 40 per cent of Ontario students getting their news from TikTok,\u201d Braves said, sourcing a study done by his organization.<\/p>\n

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\u201cMuch of the turnout issue has to do with the negativity and misinformation we see online. Social media is not for solutions. It fosters a lot of negativities.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Political science experts echo these concerns.<\/p>\n

Nelson Wiseman, a professor emeritus at the University of Toronto, sees youth disengagement as a global issue.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdults are much more concerned about the political situation. Young people are less likely to care even though provincial policies directly impact them,\u201d Wiseman said.<\/p>\n

He believes many young people don\u2019t see politics as relevant to their daily lives. \u201cI suspect they don\u2019t spend much time talking about politics, so why would they go out and vote?\u201d<\/p>\n

Wiseman emphasized that while social media is useful for awareness, it can also create an illusion of engagement. \u201cPeople may feel like they\u2019re participating by sharing posts or commenting online, but that doesn\u2019t often translate to real-life action,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

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Another challenge which Braves believes has fostered a low voter turnout in Canada is the lack of civics education and awareness of the voting process.<\/p>\n