By Cheryl Jahn

Young voters “apathetic”

Sep 26, 2022 | 4:09 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – Regardless of the election – federal, provincial or municipal – the young voter is challenged to head to the polls. For instance, in the 2020 provincial election, 45 percent of those between the ages of 18 and 24 turned out to vote. That was down 2.2 percent of that age bracket that voted in 2017 and 10 and a half percent from the 2013 election. The picture is bleaker with voters between 25 and 34 years of age when voter turnout was 39 percent.

“Getting young people out is a tough one,” says Chris Beach, Political Science Instructor. “In 2015, when there was a young leader running for Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, there was quite a bump in the youth vote and it helped him get a majority at the time. We’ve since seen a decline in two elections, unfortunately.”

But the young folks CKPG News spoke to at UNBC didn’t vote for a variety of rfeaons: voter apathy, untrustworthy politicians, feeling that their vote doesn’t count and their issues are not addressed.

“But if young people are concerned about things like climate change, or transportation in the city or any other issues, well, they need to show up,” says Beach “If all the young people in Prince George showed up, it would make a huge difference, right? Anybody over 18 can show up and vote. They would have a major impact.”

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So wake, politicians, you’ve got your work cut out.