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Young Voters
Why Should I Vote?
This fall you have a choice to make. Will you be a voter or sit this one out?Get out and vote.
Did you know the first opportunity you can vote in the Local General and School election is November 8, 2011 at the Richmond campus of Kwantlen Polytechnic University, 8771 Lansdowne Road? Yes, we've come to you to make it easy.
This year, there are 6 days of voting – General Voting Day (November 19) and 5 advance voting days (Nov 8, 9, 10, 12 and 15).
Why is it important to vote?
When we vote, we choose the individuals we want to make the laws and policies that govern how we live together.
The right for Canadians to vote is a fundamental democratic right, protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It is the basis of democracy.
While democracy involves much more than holding elections every three years, voting is a powerful way to send a message to governments and politicians. The more votes, the more powerful the message is. In other words, every vote counts.
Voting is one of the easiest ways to have a say in how your society is governed.
Voting is on the decline and voter turnout has been dropping in Canada and the around the world. Younger generations must reverse this trend because greater voter participation is healthy for democracy.
Why is the youth vote important?
Only 22.1% of Richmond residents voted at the 2008 general local and school election. That means over 77% of residents did not exercise their right to vote. While we are not sure how many were young voters (18 to 24 year-olds), the national average of young people voting in the last federal election in 2008 was only 37.4%.
Some say that young people don't vote because politicians don't care about youth issues or don't talk to young people in their own language. But by not voting, young Canadians lose an important opportunity to make their voices heard.
