Baldin: Young voters still don’t think politicians are listening to them

People enter an advance polling station in the Sydney-Glace Bay riding on Easter weekend. Will a higher number of young voters take part this election? Photo by IAN NATHANSON/CAPE BRETON POSTArticle content

Looming threats to Canadian sovereignty from south of the border could be what pushes Canadians to the polls in droves on April 28, voting not just for a political party, but against the policies of U.S. President Donald Trump.

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But in our political setting, where young voters often don’t see their values reflected in party leadership, patriotic sentiments are less likely to translate into a higher voter turnout.

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Younger-voter turnout appeared to be on the rise between 2011 and 2015 even as it lagged behind national averages. Only 39 per cent of voters aged 18 to 24 cast a vote in the 2011 federal election — 22 percentage points below the national average — but that jumped to 57 per cent in 2015, though still nine percentage points below average.

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In 2019, youth voter trends curved downward slightly, as 54 per cent of voters aged 18 to 24 showed up to the polls, 13 percentage points behind the national average.

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I’ve spoken with many voters in this age demographic, and think we shouldn’t expect voter turnout to spike upward again among younger people. Some do see voting in this election as a statement of Canadian loyalty against burgeoning threats from the south. But an increasing number of young voters don’t tie voting and patriotism together at all.

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Overall, Canadian pride hit an all-time low last year, dropping from a high of 78 per cent in 1985 to 34 per cent by 2024, according to an Angus Reid poll. As members of an increasingly multicultural generation, many young people in particular feel Canada’s tarnished colonial history doesn’t justify pride in our nation. While some certainly see the value in casting a vote, sometimes it’s to oppose something, rather than to support something. And many younger voters are choosing to strategically vote, just to ensure parties with misaligned values can’t gain power.

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Others are simply disillusioned with a system that doesn’t engage with them or serve their interests.

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The 24-hour news cycle is inundated with headlines about tariffs and annexation threats. Yet a recent study from MTM Jr. found that only one-third of young Canadians consume news on a regular basis.