More than ever before, Canada91裸聊视频檚 political parties need to be able to speak to the millennial generation.

The B.C. Federation of Students launched its 91裸聊视频極ur Time is Now91裸聊视频� campaign last week on Vancouver Island in an effort to get students registered and engaged in the lead-up to the Oct. 21 federal election.

According to a report by the BCFS, the 2019 election marks 91裸聊视频渢he first time in 40 years that Canadians under 35 will form the largest age cohort,91裸聊视频� with millennials representing 37 per cent of the electorate.

91裸聊视频淲hich is historic,91裸聊视频� said Tanysha Klassen, chairperson of the B.C. Federation of Students. 91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 a huge number of young people that are going to really be able to shift the vote.91裸聊视频�

In the 2015 federal election, voter turnout among Canadians aged 18-24 spiked to 57.1 per cent, from 38.8 per cent in 2011 and even lower than that in 2008. Klassen said people who vote for a first time are more likely to vote a second time, and so on, 91裸聊视频渟o it turns into a lifelong pattern.91裸聊视频�

She said it91裸聊视频檚 exciting when she91裸聊视频檚 approached by students who have just turned 18 and want to know the process for registering and finding out information about the parties and candidates.

RELATED:

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 like a privilege you gain when you become that age and suddenly you can help make decisions,91裸聊视频� said Anouk Borris, chairperson of the Vancouver Island University Students91裸聊视频� Union.

VIUSU launched its get-out-the-vote efforts last Tuesday in Nanaimo as a part of a club information event at the university91裸聊视频檚 cafeteria, and campus young Greens and young Conservatives attended.

Klassen said young people basically care about the 91裸聊视频渆xact same issues91裸聊视频� as other voter groups, with affordability and climate high on the list.

91裸聊视频淲e don91裸聊视频檛 have niche issues but we91裸聊视频檙e also not a homogeneous group,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淓verybody has these similar issues, like the rest of the population does, but the ways that young people want to go about handling those issues varies greatly.91裸聊视频�

The BCFS report notes that there are 91裸聊视频渞eal struggles91裸聊视频� facing millennials including affordability, climate change, human rights and limited access to stable economic opportunities.

91裸聊视频淢illennials will be galvanized to seek solutions,91裸聊视频� the report notes, including at the ballot box.

The report also comments that 91裸聊视频渘egative tropes about youth apathy perpetuated by the media and by pundits are a form of voter suppression91裸聊视频� by suggesting to young people that their vote won91裸聊视频檛 matter because not enough of their peers are voting. The 91裸聊视频極ur Time is Now91裸聊视频� campaign, said Klassen, is meant to empower young people this election.

91裸聊视频淲e know that we get out and vote and that we91裸聊视频檙e activists and that we91裸聊视频檙e engaged,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淭here91裸聊视频檚 just always been a negative narrative through media and older generations saying the young people don91裸聊视频檛 vote, which we all know is wrong, but we need to make sure we get out there and prove that to people.91裸聊视频�

For more information about the campaign, visit .

RELATED:

editor@nanaimobulletin.com
Like us on and follow us on