A vicious circle seems to be increasingly emerging in the relationship between politicians and young people. Political parties are addressing young people less and less in their electoral programs or on their communication platforms. Young people thus feel less and less represented by these bodies and gradually lose the desire to be informed and involved. For less than 10 years, this circle has been growing stronger and young people are tending to move away from the polls.
Trade wars, tariffs, the environment, immigration and the cost of living — these topics are on the lips of all young voters. Many are wondering how to navigate this ocean of complex concepts while trying, as best they can, to identify themselves with the competing parties.
I went to the cafeteria at Cégep Marie-Victorin to interview some students. The place is spacious and bright, conducive to exchanges. Young people aged 18 and 19 expressed their concerns, talked about how they get information during this election campaign, and present solutions.
Avril, 18, notes that those around her are talking more and more about current political issues. She explains: “I think our generation, Generation Z, is more involved. We are also more opinionated than previous generations.”
The distance between the political world and the realities faced by young voters is reflected in several testimonies. “I have the impression that we are never addressed directly. We see all sorts of news on television, but nobody tells us: 'Young people, we have solutions for you!' Maybe, if they were talking to us directly, we would be more attentive,” says Maïka, 18.
For many, social media is the future of communication between the political world and the young electorate. Everyone is following political parties' news more on TikTok or Instagram. “It would be nice even to have more popularization on social networks. Many don't have a political background and don't necessarily understand what's going on right now,” explains Ariana, 18.
“I have the impression that what is already circulating on social networks is a bit forced. The message is getting through, but I don't feel a real interest from the parties in joining us,” adds Gabriel, 18.
These young people all intend to vote. It will be a first for them. Moreover, we feel a real desire to learn about political news and to commit to the issues that affect them the most, despite the fact that they do not feel directly involved by the parties.
Decline in youth interest in politics
During the last three Canadian federal elections, the turnout rate for 18 to 24 year olds has only declined. According to Elections Canada data, it was nearly 57% in 2015, then around 54% in 2019, before falling to 46.7% in the last election in 2021. We are talking about 10 percentage points less in just a few years.
At this point, we see that voter turnout increases with age. Moreover, the participation gap is quite striking. While nearly 47% of 18-24 year olds vote, nearly 75% of 65-74 year olds cast ballots. In fact, this trend is the same across the country.
These data show that older citizens have greater electoral weight. But why do young people always lose interest more and more during the elections?
Between community environment and political discourse
To try to understand the phenomenon, we made a first stop at the Saint-Michel Centre in LaSalle to talk with Stéphanie Germain. The executive director of Educonnexion and community organizer works at the heart of Montreal communities. She is involved with high school students and young adults from several neighbourhoods in the city. Stéphanie knows the importance of the current elections for young people.
“If I rely on what I hear from the young people I work with, there is a certain feeling of erasure that is felt. Young people don't feel taken into consideration by the political sphere, but that doesn't mean they're not involved,” she explains.
According to the community organizer, the gap between the realities of young voters and the political programs of the various parties is widening. “Elections take place every four years; therefore, for me, you cannot expect young people to be mobilized at this precise moment,” she said. Politicians come to our offices to talk to young people only a month or two before the start of the elections. They should be consulted throughout the year.”
During the first week of the election campaign, Stéphanie felt tension and excitement in her community. The current state of economic and political relations with the United States raises questions. “I said to myself, “If we, as adults, experience anxiety about all this, what should young people experience?” Knowing that politicians often speak a language that is completely out of touch with their realities,” notes Stéphanie.
With Educonnection, she wants to offer a space for exchange on current political issues and issues. The organization focuses on citizen engagement and participation. “It is a priority to create places of expression for young people!” she said. It is by organizing evenings called “Youth in conversation” that Stéphanie seeks to break this vicious circle of misinformation and lack of political involvement. The objective is to give agency to voters and future voters. Every Friday evening, young people aged 14 to 19 gather to talk to each other and with specialists from different fields of expertise. The theme of these evenings is citizen involvement, but they also deal with various subjects such as geopolitics, art, the environment and global citizenship education. A special evening is planned for the elections.
“We are in an anxiety-provoking period, and I think that there is a lack of space to take the time to discuss the news, what is being heard in the media and even to talk about how young people feel, what they are worried about,” concludes Stéphanie.
The most interesting provincial policy for young people
Next step, André Lamoureux came to our office for a coffee. He is a specialist in Quebec and Canadian politics and a professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM). According to him, historically, youth participation in the electoral process has worked in waves. For ordinary people, the federal level is a bit more abstract. At the provincial level, as we know, it is a question of culture or even education. Young people are getting more involved, because these are issues that affect them in a more concrete way.”
He highlights the strong impact of the decisions of the Canadian government on the daily lives of citizens: “There are several competences that fall under the federal state and, whatever one thinks, it has an effect on our lives every day, especially at the moment with the offensive of Donald Trump. The area of intervention, which is the federal domain, is very important.”
He believes that the civic engagement of young people is not sufficiently sought after. According to him, the education system should teach more about the ins and outs of political life to better prepare 18 to 24 year olds outside of election periods.
Another major shortcoming concerns the very involvement of the various political parties. “Getting young people involved starts with the party program. Parties must have positions that appeal to young people. From there, we can do collective activities to advance these causes with them, by supporting them,” explains Mr. Lamoureux.
According to the specialist, as young people are going to the polls less and less, parties are less and less likely to go to them. A kind of vicious circle is taking place. “These are ways of doing things that take time to be established within parties. It doesn't happen overnight. It must be part of a permanent trajectory,” he says.