Millennials Have Arrived: How Gen Y Shaped the 2015 Canadian Federal Election
June 21, 2016
We all know the narrative about young people that we don’t vote. Article after article has been penned about Millennials’ political apathy. But that narrative may be about to change.
New data from Elections Canada showed a nearly 20% bump in voter turnout from Canadians aged 18 to 24 from 2011 to 2015. The increase was also significant for Canadians aged 25-34, with an increase of 12%.
The data echos that of our report earlier this year for the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA). We also anticipated a young voter increase of at least 12 points.
In addition, we concluded, as stated in this excerpt, that the impact of this increase cannot be overstated:
“Young voters coalesced around one political party and leader unlike in the past decade. So much so that one could credit young voters with giving the Liberal Party its majority government.”
Not only was youth voter turnout higher than in previous elections, our study also found that a majority of young Canadians also believed that more young people voted in the 2015 election than in the past. 60% of respondents believe that more young people voted than usual, while only 7% felt that fewer young people had voted. The remaining 33% believed that youth turnout was about the same as usual.
We can anticipate with these new Elections Canada numbers, perceptions around young voters will continue to shift.
Given the significant impact that Canadian Millennials had on the 2015 federal election, it’s no surprise that PMJT named himself “Minister of Youth”.
To read our full report for CASA, click here.
Which Millennial type is most likely to vote in a Federal Election?: The Achiever
