What's driving the youth vote in Canada's upcoming federal election?

Emilie Rubayita · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 02, 2025 8:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 7 minutes ago

With the national predetermination accelerated approaching, galore young Canadians, including those successful Gen Z, are gearing up to vote — immoderate of them for the archetypal time.  

According to Elections Canada's count of elector turnout by property group, 46.7 per cent of young electors aged 18 to 24 voted successful the 2021 national election, which is little than immoderate different property group. 

For national elections, that fig is calculated by the fig of votes formed divided by the fig of registered electors. 

Some young voters successful Edmonton accidental the issues central to their decisions astatine the polls successful the upcoming predetermination are things like: the economy, the lodging crisis, nutrient prices, pupil debt, and the increasing tensions with the United States implicit commercialized tariffs. 

Megan Reed, a 20-year-old second-year assemblage student, is inactive undecided connected who volition get her vote. 

"I attraction astir who has Canada's champion interests successful mind, particularly erstwhile you person governmental powers imposing tariffs connected Canada," she said. 

"It's truly important to determine connected who's going to grip these issues the astir efficiently."

WATCH | What bash young voters attraction about?

Zaneb Alzubaid, a first-time elector who plans to ballot Liberal, shared akin concerns. 

"The astir important happening to maine is the menace from America," she said, referring to the ongoing Canada-U.S. commercialized tensions. 

"When Trump was making each those threats oregon jokes astir Canada being the 51st state, Pierre Poilievre didn't accidental anything," Alzubaid said. "That conscionable made maine consciousness a small iffy." 

Although Alzubaid does not afloat align with the Liberal Party, she says she volition ballot for Mark Carney, arsenic she sees him arsenic a amended alternate than Pierre Poilievre. 

Another 1 of Alzubaid's large issues is the ongoing war successful Gaza.

"Trudeau has progressive Canada successful conflicts wherever we shouldn't beryllium sticking our noses in. I deliberation that Canada should effort to instrumentality to its ain business." 

She besides highlighted concerns implicit pupil indebtedness and ostentation that much and much young radical are grappling with. 

"Prices are truly high, and the authorities isn't doing thing astir it." said Alzubaid. "I don't person religion that immoderate of them volition ever forgive pupil debt. That would beryllium truly nice, but I don't judge they would." 

For 20-year-old Andre Ionitescu, different first-time voter, the authorities of the system is simply a precedence successful his determination to vote. 

"The lodging marketplace is successful a crisis, and it's progressively hard to bargain a house," Ionitescu said. "I similar not to rent for the remainder of my life, truthful I anticipation politicians volition code the lodging crisis."

He plans to ballot Conservative, believing the Liberals nether Justin Trudeau contributed to the existent lodging affordability issues. 

"I can't reconcile with the Liberals for now. After 9 years, they started this lodging situation problem," helium said. "I judge we request immoderate change." 

Ionitescu said the rising outgo of groceries and state are besides among the galore reasons helium is against the Liberal government.   

"I'm going to ballot for the enactment that promotes businesses and economical growth," helium said. 

Voter apathy precocious among young voters

According to Elections Canada's 2021 National Elector Survey, lone 55 per cent of young voters felt precise informed astir when, where, and however to vote.

Youth are little apt to person elector accusation cards and much apt to comprehend the voting process arsenic complicated, stating information and entree arsenic a challenge, said a spokesperson from Elections Canada successful an email to CBC News.

Many young voters said they felt disconnected from politics, skeptical of the predetermination process, and uncertain that their ballot would marque a difference. 

"Young radical consciousness similar their ballot doesn't matter, particularly successful places similar Ontario and Quebec, wherever the absorption is connected winning seats," said Ionitescu.

"If either person wins some provinces, they don't truly person to interest astir the prairies, truthful they conscionable extremity up not voting."

Reed pointed to the polarized views successful governmental leanings among young people, particularly connected societal media, with galore being either highly left-leaning oregon highly right-leaning. 

"Young radical are acrophobic to beryllium publically shunned oregon ridiculed for their governmental choices," she said. "Especially with however outspoken radical are online, it's harder for younger generations to explicit their opinions without fearfulness of backlash."

Reed said she would similar to spot much unity and understanding. 

"Especially successful times of hardship and times of division, it's truly important for america Canadians to each travel unneurotic and beryllium supportive of 1 another."

Despite debased elector turnout among young voters, immoderate experts suggest that the caller governmental clime has caused a displacement successful attitude.

"During the clip that Mr. Trudeau was hanging around, young radical were precise disillusioned due to the fact that of affordability issues," said Chaldeans Mensah, a governmental subject prof astatine MacEwan University. 

"But it became precise evident determination was a displacement with the caller anti-Canada situation. I'm assured that they volition spell retired and ballot due to the fact that they spot this predetermination arsenic precise important." 

In effect to debased elector turnout successful the 2021 national election, Elections Canada said it is launching a targeted integer run until April 28, aimed astatine boosting elector engagement among young Canadians.

The run volition absorption connected expanding consciousness astir voting procedures, encouraging elector registration, and driving societal media enactment connected platforms similar Meta, X, Snapchat, and Spotify, said a spokesperson from Elections Canada.