It is generally observed that young people don’t vote as much as older adults because of, well, their age. Young people may not be educated yet in the basics of the political process or have articulated their stake in society – all essential to influencing political involvement. However, prior to the 1980s people under thirty still voted at least some of the time, if not in one election, then in another. Today, one third of Canadian voters under the age of thirty don’t vote in elections at all. Why is this the case and what does this mean for democracy in Canada?

In a recent book on the democratic disengagement of young Canadians, Citizens Adrift by Paul Howe, the author highlights the emergence of the “habitual non-voter,” a group of young people that have largely checked out of electoral politics. When some of these non-participants were asked in a survey why they didn’t vote, answers ranged from: they did not know who to vote for, they had no interest in the election, they felt their vote wouldn’t make a difference, or they just weren’t sure why they didn’t vote.

Studies show that non-voting tends to be concentrated in people with lower levels of education and/or income. However, other factors are at play such as lack of political and civic knowledge, lack of trust and confidence in politicians, and media saturation leading some young people to feel inundated with information yet unsure about how they can effect change. Political campaigns also tend to focus on the older demographic who have a history of voting and are therefore more likely to vote – leaving outreach to young people lower on the priority list.

Paul Howe argues however that young people’s disengagement with the political process is foundationally due to diminished social integration over time. For decades young people have experienced a relatively weak attachment to community – the basis of democracy – while living in a culture of hyper individualism. Detached from community as well as political institutions, young people unsurprisingly fail to see the relevance of their input or participation. Meanwhile, as these trends continue, more and more Canadians will find themselves without political representation and shut out of influencing public policy. It can be argued that this is already the case with the current Harper government when it comes to the interests of young people – a government elected by less than 25% of the eligible electorate.

The reasons for political disengagement are systemic, and so must be the solutions.
The creation of a new social dynamic that re-engages young people in the political process is challenging work, but is absolutely essential in bringing young voices back into Canadian political discourse.