‘I’m hoping to have my voice heard’: Young voters focus on climate change, education and health care | CBC News

How will youth vote when Ontario heads to the polls on June 2?

While Elections Ontario says it does not provide demographic information about voters, Statistics Canada data on federal elections shows people aged 18 to 24 head to the polls at a lower rate than older Canadians.

Voter turnout among those aged 18 to 24 was 66 per cent while the national overall turnout was 76 per cent in the 2021 federal election, according to StatCan.

Josel Angelica Gerardo, a master’s student at Toronto Metropolitan University who is also project coordinator of the Democratic Engagement Exchange, says her organization is engaging with young people to encourage them to get out and vote on Thursday.

“I think youth’s voice is very, very powerful, especially with our youth today,” Gerardo told CBC’s Metro Morning host Ismaila Alfa. “We’ve been really encouraging the young generation to go out there and vote and I think it will really make or break the election.”

Gerardo said some of the most important issues among young voters include affordable housing, health care, education, equity, anti-racism and LGBTQ rights.

CBC’s Metro Morning caught up with some young voters in Toronto last week. Here is what they had to say.

Cara McNeil

“I’ve been ready to go for four years,” said Cara McNeil.

McNeil turned 18 in November 2018 — five months too late to vote in the last provincial election.

McNeil said she’ll be casting her vote for her local NDP candidate mainly because of their positions on labour rights, health care, climate change and education.

“I know people who have died because of the pandemic and it’s been really hard and I want to see a change in that,” said McNeil.

“I really feel like the NDP is the one who’s fighting to make some change. The Liberal and the PCs — it’s the same back and forth all the time and I’m just, I’m not feeling it.”

Ayo Akinpelu

Ayo Akinpelu said she will be voting in her first provincial election on June 2. 

“I sadly missed out on the last election. But I’m hoping to have my voice heard in this one,” said Akinpelu. “I’m really looking forward to voting.”

Magnus Roland Marun

Electoral reform and climate change top the list of issues that are important to Magnus Roland Marun.

“I think they go together,” he said, adding that the cost of living is also very high on his list.

“Housing is very expensive,” he said.

Roland Marun says he voted in the last federal election and is looking forward to voting at the provincial level on June 2.

MacGregor van de Ven

MacGregor van de Ven says education and health care matter most to him. 

He has been researching online to learn what each party has planned for both subjects.

Stephanie Staibano

Stephanie Staibano turned 18 a few months ago and this this election will be her first time voting. 

“I’m really excited,” she said.

“I’m just excited to have my voice heard. You always hear, like your parents go and vote, and I’ve always gone with them, so I’m really excited to actually get to vote this time.”

Staibano says she has been paying keen attention to what the parties say on issues she cares about.

“I think something that I’m really passionate about is education … I’m really interested in seeing what’s going to be done in the future for that.”