{"id":51033,"date":"2019-10-18T11:06:33","date_gmt":"2019-10-18T17:06:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/?p=51033"},"modified":"2021-02-07T22:39:20","modified_gmt":"2021-02-08T05:39:20","slug":"young-voters-may-be-the-key-to-the-oct-21-election","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/2019\/10\/18\/young-voters-may-be-the-key-to-the-oct-21-election\/","title":{"rendered":"Young voters may be the key to the Oct. 21 election"},"content":{"rendered":"

O<\/span>n Monday, Oct. 21, Canadians will vote for the party, and leader, that will govern the country.<\/p>\n

W<\/span>ith the election drawing near, some SAIT students have weighed in on what voting means to them.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel confident in who I\u2019m going to vote for so long as they maintain their platform,\u201d said Andrew Walsh, a 30-year-old student currently enrolled at SAIT for academic upgrading.<\/p>\n

The millennial generation is the largest demographic of eligible voters for the 2019 election.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery time I have a conversation with somebody on it [politics], I just get this \u2018whatever\u2019 viewpoint on it,\u201d Walsh said in a recent interview.<\/p>\n

Historically, young adults don\u2019t vote as often as the older generation, but Elections Canada recorded a jump in votes from ages 18 to 24 from 38.8 per cent in 2011, to 57.1 per cent in 2015.<\/p>\n

Speculation during the current campaign has focussed on the possible turnout of young voters. The question has been particularly important for Justin Trudeau and the Liberals, who were the main beneficiaries of the big youth turnout in 2015.<\/p>\n

Ontario and Quebec have the majority of seats in Canada, 199 of the 338 being contested. Walsh thinks could discourage western Canadians, who feel their vote doesn\u2019t matter.<\/p>\n

The ability to compare comes with Walsh\u2019s different experiences after living in Newfoundland for five years before moving back to Calgary.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey felt that their vote mattered more, as opposed to people here,\u201d Walsh said.<\/p>\n

Wade Steele, a second-year carpentry student, said he won\u2019t be voting in this federal election.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like it doesn\u2019t matter who\u2019s in charge,\u201d Steele said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs if I know what\u2019s good for the country, as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Steele grew up in a conservative home but voted Liberal in the 2015 election, which saw Justin Trudeau\u2019s Liberals defeat Stephen Harper\u2019s government of nearly a decade.<\/p>\n

Even if the Liberals didn\u2019t win, Steele said he \u2018wouldn\u2019t have been pissed.’<\/p>\n

Despite this, Steele said he had an experience where, in a small way, his opinion did matter.<\/p>\n

\u201cI could have an opinion and say I think it\u2019s good to have social programs, it\u2019s good to have small businesses, but what\u2019s actually good for the country as a whole, I have no idea.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Carpentry student Wade Steele takes a break from class, on campus. (Photo by Rorie Stannard\/The Press)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Here’s some information on how to vote, and the issues in the campaign:<\/p>\n

Voter eligibility:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Qualified individuals must be:<\/p>\n

-Canadian citizens<\/p>\n

-Eighteen years of age or older as of election day<\/p>\n

-Have proof of identity and home address<\/p>\n

Most citizens are already included in the National Register of Electors database. But individuals can review their status at Elections Canada\u2019s website, call toll-free at 1-800-463-6868, or visit one of eleven offices located in Calgary.<\/p>\n

Voters at the polls must have up to date addresses on their government-issued ID cards. Information can be updated via the online voter registration service on Election Canada<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Three ways to vote:<\/strong><\/p>\n