Voter turnout in Canada is lowest for young voters.[1] A general decline in electoral participation among the under-35 population has been observed in many democratic countries around the world, especially in Canada. "The youngest age cohort did experience a bump upwards in estimated voter turnout from 37% in the 2004 federal general election to 43.8% for the election that followed, before descending to 37.4% for the 2008 federal general election."[2] Participation in provincial elections for youth aged 18 to 24 was 28% in 2001. However, in the 2005 provincial election, the turnout in this age group increased to 35%.[3] In 2015 youth participation reached a record high at 57.1%.[4] Evidently, low voter turnout of young Canadians has generated a great deal of concern.
"Detailed analyses of electoral participation since the 1968 federal election indicate that much of the decline has been driven by generational replacement."[4]
Indeed, the differences in electoral participation across age groups can be seen as a generation gap phenomenon. "The rate of voter participation declines steadily as one moves from the oldest to the youngest age cohorts."[5] The study by Jon H. Pammett and Lawrence LeDuc employed by Elections Canada reveals just how large the gap between the youngest and oldest voters has become.[5] One explanation for this phenomenon is that one's age can affect one's view as to the relevance of the issues that typically dominate the political agenda.[6] The trend analysis demonstrates that the generation gap applies to specific political issues. "Views on school integration proved the exception to the rule, an exception that is explicable in terms of massive period effects and possibly life-cycle effects operating on the young."[7]
The proportion of Canadians under 15 years of age dropped from 32.5% in 1941 to 17.6% in 2006.[8] In 2015, a statistical milestone was reached, in which the proportion of Canadians over 64 (5.78 million) topped the proportion of those under 15 (5.75 million), as reported by the Star.
Younger Canadians tend to be less interested in politics: Only one in 20 Canadians between 18 and 30 years of age (in 2000) had ever belonged to a political party, compared with one-third of those over age 60.[9] There is concern whether a failure to engage younger Canadians early will have a detrimental effect on our democracy over time. "There is no question that over the past two decades, we have seen youth voting rates declining at a precipitous rate to the point where clear majorities of the younger generations don't vote and may well never do so."[10]
^Stolle, Dietlind; Hooghe, Marc (December 2004). "The roots of social capital: attitudinal and network mechanisms in the relation between youth and adult indicators of social capital". Acta Politica. 39 (4): 422–441. doi:10.1057/palgrave.ap.5500081.
^[Alfred, Taiaiake., Pitawanakwat, Brook., and Price, Jackie. "The Meaning of Political Participation for Indigenous Youth: Charting the Course for Youth Civic and Political Participation." Canadian Policy Research Networks. Jun 2007. Web. 25 Nov 2011. < www.cprn.ca/documents/48503_EN.pdf>]
^[Barnes, Andre. "Youth Voter Turnout in Canada: 1 Trends and Issues." Library of Parliament. 7 Apr 2010. Web. 11 Nov 2011. <http://www.parl.gc.ca/Content/LOP/ResearchPublications/2010-19-e.htm>]
^ abCanada, Elections (27 August 2018). "Voter Turnout by Age Group". www.elections.ca. Retrieved 2019-10-22.
^ ab[Pammett, Jon H.. LeDuc, Lawrence. "Explaining the Turnout Decline in Canadian Federal Elections: A New Survey of Non-voters." Elections Canada. Mar 2003. Web. Oct 2011 <www.elections.ca>]
^[Gidengil, Elizabeth. , Blais, Andre. , Everitt, Joanna., Fournier, Patrick., and Nevitte, Neil. "Missing the Message Young Adults and the Election Issues." Elections Canada. Web. 18 Nov 2011. <http://www.elections.ca/res/eim/article_search/article.asp?id=122&lang=e&frmPageSize=>]
^[Jennings, M. Kent, and Niemi, Richard G. Generations and Politics: A Panel Study of Young Adults and Their Parents. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1981. Pg. 161.]
^[Heard, Andrew. "Historical Voter Turnout in Canada Federal Elections & Referenda, 1867-2008." Elections. Web. 04 Nov. 2011. <https://www.sfu.ca/~aheard/elections/historical-turnout.html>]
^[ Mackinnon, Mary Pat. , Pitre, Sonia. , and Watling Judy. "Lost in Translation: (Mis) Understanding Youth Engagement: Synthesis Report." Canadian Policy Research Networks. Oct 2007. Web. 26 Nov 2011.
^[Graves, Frank. "The Looming Legitimacy Crisis: Time to Take the Discretionary out of Democracy?" Ekos Politics. 21 Oct 2011. Web. 22 Nov 2011. < http://www.ekospolitics.com/index.php/2011/10/the-looming-legitimacy-crisis-october-21-2011/>]
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