Turning 18 is a pretty big deal. It means you can file your own income tax return. It means you’ll be getting minimum wage as opposed to a student wage and it also means you can vote for the very first time.
“It’s pretty exciting and important,” said Chris Pearse. He and Hannah Bryon are both students at Huntsville High School. They are both doing their victory lap this year before leaving for post-secondary education next September. Pearse has been busy on social media telling everyone in his age group to vote.
“You can say it’s our civic duty, but it’s also truly important personally for us to have a decision in things that affect us.”
Pearse said while he’s been getting a mixed response from his peers it seems “young people in general seem to be more into the whole voting process this election than they ever have. There’s been a large push from lots of celebrities and lots of other young people to be heavily involved.”
According to Elections Canada only an estimated 38.8 per cent of voters between the ages of 18-24 voted in 2011, compared to 75.1 per cent for ages 65–74. Pearse says he’s hoping that number will increase this time around.
“I think there’s always been a kind of a rebellious feeling of youth toward the government and I think that’s because youth were always kind of left out of the political picture,” said Pearse, adding that he’s noticing a change. “Now instead they’re starting to realize that a lot of the things that people talk about in politics, and that governments decide on, has a large impact on them as well, if not now, then in the long-run.”
Among the issues of importance to youth, they say, is the environment, student tuition, jobs for youth and the electoral system itself.
“I don’t want to get too controversial but I’m not a huge fan of the first-past-the-post systems that we have,” said Pearse. “For example, if let’s say the Green Party was represented by 10 per cent of the voters but didn’t win a single riding because they always came second or third in the riding, they wouldn’t get a single seat even though 10 per cent of voters voted for them. It’s not a completely fair system, although if you were to change it there would certainly be a lot of kinks to work out.”
Bryon said what’s engaged her most in this election are the ideas about student tuition, the environment and healthcare.
“We have a lot of new and fresh ideas happening that I’ve noticed in the different parties that are at play and the way this election can go can completely change the face of Canada right now.Hannah Bryon
They both agreed that protecting the environment is key. “There’s been too much ignorance on the government level towards what is actually happening and too much defiance and not enough action. So I think we need to start moving in a positive direction,” said Pearse on the issue.
Bryon agreed: “I think all of the other issues at play in this election, all can be linked together through the issue of the environment. If our environment goes down the drain, so will our healthcare, so will our tourism… everything will go down the drain if our environment is at risk.”
She also said healthcare in Huntsville is an issue of concern to her personally as well as the lowering of tuition fees as she will be going off to university next year. She said those are issues that are important to her and ones she’ll be paying close attention to as she casts her vote on October 19.
Pearse said the parties that are talking about lowering or eliminating tuition fees for students are also the ones that have resonated with him. He’ll be working for Elections Canada on Election Day and so he’s already cast his vote and is encouraging others to do the same.
“I am borderline dragging people to the polls.”Chris Pearse
“I’m not an active person on social media but I’ve never been more active than these last few months. I’ve been sharing everything I can about votes,” he said, adding that he’s glad he took a grade 12 political science course that has helped him understand the system. He said many young people are encouraged to vote but not always educated about the system itself. That, he said, is important in order to get more young people to vote.
When asked how they’d be voting, both Bryon and Pearse were not only adamant about the importance of voting but their right to keep their vote personal. They both declined to go on the record with their choice.
Election Day is Monday, October 19. There are 60 polling stations in the riding of Parry Sound-Muskoka.
The Harper Conservatives are assuming that young people won’t vote. I’m so happy that Chris and Hannah and so many other passionate and informed young people are proving him wrong.