Actuality¹⁵¹

Young voters in the federal election: between disillusionment and hope

DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

Par

Jules Morin

JCCM

Chargé de projet bénévole du comité affaires publiques

The last federal election ended with a Liberal minority government. But beyond the results, this democratic exercise allowed young voters to express their opinions on their concerns and priorities. Historically, 18-34 year-olds are under-represented at the polls compared to other demographic categories (Elections Canada 2021). Yet young people aged 25 and under have a decisive capacity to influence political decision-makers on the direction society should take and follow, as they make up around a quarter of the Canadian population (StatCan 2025).

Despite this trend, the last election marked a turning point: the overall turnout rate (68%), while still perfectible among young people, demonstrates a heightened collective awareness compared to the 2021 federal election (Elections Canada). Amanda Munday, Executive Director of “New Majority” listed the main factors responsible for this result below, categorized in descending order of importance (CTV News 2025):

cost of living/intergenerational equity;
cost/access to housing;
employment opportunities;
mental health; environment;
Canadian sovereignty.

The generational divide is also becoming apparent: almost half of young people aged 18-34 were inclined to vote Conservative - an increase of 21 points over the last election, while those aged 55 and over were much more supportive of the Liberals (Lone & Kyawsoe 2025; Boynton 2025).

According to polling firm Ipsos, these two age groups have a different vision of what Canada is today. One remembers a Canada that, in their eyes, worked well in the 1970s-1980s, while the other doesn't recognize itself in this reality (Boynton 2025). The government will have to reconcile the interests of the new generations in order to satisfy their demands in terms of access to housing and affordability of the cost of living, without compromising the socio-economic imperatives of retirees - a task that promises to be arduous, but necessary for a Canada that must stand united in this period of geopolitical uncertainty.

While a UNICEF report shows that Canada ranks 19th in terms of young people's well-being, the next generation expects concrete action to give them the opportunity to prosper like previous generations (Zafar 2025). It's not just a question of intergenerational equity, but of the need to ensure that future retirees have access to funded public services. Let's not forget that the work of youth is the rest of old age

Source:

https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/fr/tv.action?pid=1710000501

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Élections fédérales 2025: Quelles sont les préoccupations des jeunes qui votent pour la première fois?

https://www.985fm.ca/audio/694716/quelles-sont-les-preoccupations-des-jeunes-qui-votent-pour-la-premiere-fois

Boynton, S. 2025. Canada election tells a tale of 2 demographics split on top issues. Global News. https://globalnews.ca/news/11153872/canada-election-results-demographics-exit-polls/

Zafar, A. 2025. Canada ranked 19th out of 36 countries in child well-being, UNICEF says. CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/unicef-children-canada-1.7534521

Lone, W. & Kyawsoe, O. 2025. Young Canadians favor Conservatives in election despite Trump threat. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/young-canadians-favor-conservatives-election-despite-trump-threat-2025-04-26/

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