More than ever before, Canada含羞草研究社檚 political parties need to be able to speak to the millennial generation.

The B.C. Federation of Students launched its 含羞草研究社極ur Time is Now含羞草研究社� campaign last week on Vancouver Island in an effort to get students registered and engaged in the lead-up to the Oct. 21 federal election.

According to a report by the BCFS, the 2019 election marks 含羞草研究社渢he first time in 40 years that Canadians under 35 will form the largest age cohort,含羞草研究社� with millennials representing 37 per cent of the electorate.

含羞草研究社淲hich is historic,含羞草研究社� said Tanysha Klassen, chairperson of the B.C. Federation of Students. 含羞草研究社淭hat含羞草研究社檚 a huge number of young people that are going to really be able to shift the vote.含羞草研究社�

In the 2015 federal election, voter turnout among Canadians aged 18-24 spiked to 57.1 per cent, from 38.8 per cent in 2011 and even lower than that in 2008. Klassen said people who vote for a first time are more likely to vote a second time, and so on, 含羞草研究社渟o it turns into a lifelong pattern.含羞草研究社�

She said it含羞草研究社檚 exciting when she含羞草研究社檚 approached by students who have just turned 18 and want to know the process for registering and finding out information about the parties and candidates.

RELATED:

含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 like a privilege you gain when you become that age and suddenly you can help make decisions,含羞草研究社� said Anouk Borris, chairperson of the Vancouver Island University Students含羞草研究社� Union.

VIUSU launched its get-out-the-vote efforts last Tuesday in Nanaimo as a part of a club information event at the university含羞草研究社檚 cafeteria, and campus young Greens and young Conservatives attended.

Klassen said young people basically care about the 含羞草研究社渆xact same issues含羞草研究社� as other voter groups, with affordability and climate high on the list.

含羞草研究社淲e don含羞草研究社檛 have niche issues but we含羞草研究社檙e also not a homogeneous group,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淓verybody has these similar issues, like the rest of the population does, but the ways that young people want to go about handling those issues varies greatly.含羞草研究社�

The BCFS report notes that there are 含羞草研究社渞eal struggles含羞草研究社� facing millennials including affordability, climate change, human rights and limited access to stable economic opportunities.

含羞草研究社淢illennials will be galvanized to seek solutions,含羞草研究社� the report notes, including at the ballot box.

The report also comments that 含羞草研究社渘egative tropes about youth apathy perpetuated by the media and by pundits are a form of voter suppression含羞草研究社� by suggesting to young people that their vote won含羞草研究社檛 matter because not enough of their peers are voting. The 含羞草研究社極ur Time is Now含羞草研究社� campaign, said Klassen, is meant to empower young people this election.

含羞草研究社淲e know that we get out and vote and that we含羞草研究社檙e activists and that we含羞草研究社檙e engaged,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淭here含羞草研究社檚 just always been a negative narrative through media and older generations saying the young people don含羞草研究社檛 vote, which we all know is wrong, but we need to make sure we get out there and prove that to people.含羞草研究社�

For more information about the campaign, visit .

RELATED:

editor@nanaimobulletin.com
Like us on and follow us on