In power from empower!

All the candidates aspiring for the leadership of NDP seem to have agreed on one issue while presenting different opinion on the other.  Low voter turnout is of course a concern, but finding the solution through lowering the age has more to it, than what meets the eye.

Canada’s voting to elect MPPs and MPs has seen low voter turnout with each passing election. At federal elections highest turnout was witnessed in 1958, 1960 and 1963, when close to 79 % of the eligible voters casted their votes. The lowest voter turnout on record was in 2008, when voter turnout fell to only 58.8%. The voting for 2011 saw a marginal increase during the federal election with 61.4 percent casting their votes; however, it still was the third lowest in Canadian history.

The issue has been taken up at debates for the NDP leadership, and the solution has come in the form of engaging the youth. Presently the voting age limit it 18 years and NDP wants to bring it down to 16. Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus feels that “The more young people we engage in the voting process, the stronger our democracy’s going to be,” and suggested that NDP should find out ways to get young people to vote.

It’s not the first time that NDP has discussed lowering the voting age to 16. In January NDP MP Don Davies who represents the British Columbia riding of Vancouver Kingsway expressed that 16-year-olds should be given the right to vote, as and in addition to engaging young people he cited that politicians are accountable to young people. Don Davies has introduced a private member’s bill in the House of Commons called Bill C-213.  While introducing so, he had mentioned that if passed the Bill could

“Widen the franchise of the country”.  At the leadership debate at Toronto, Quebec MP Guy Caron, though echoed the sentiments, but had a divergent view on its effectiveness.  He opined that lowering the voting age wouldn’t solve problems with voter turnout. The two aspiring leaders for NDP leadership have opened avenues for debate.

Many in the age group of 16 are able to drive, hold a job and pay taxes, and thus should have a say in the formation of the government. And if they are given a chance to vote, they would be able to represent issues of youth in a better manner. They are at an age where they can think and make opinion on their own. However, their information about the political process is limited and the ability to make the right decision for casting the vote is under question too. If youth are disengaged when they are allowed to vote, that will not engender any serious political involvement on their part.

Leaders of NDP must acknowledge that the civic education needs to be strengthened not only to allow youth to vote but to improve their knowledge about the system and the parties too. They should be able to fairly understand the promises that the parties make and identify with their implications too. Also NDP will have to collect evidence that such a move in any other country has increased voter turnout. Will the young voters be able to vote without any external or peer pressure would remain another issue to be addressed.

All aspiring leaders of NDP have echoed similar sentiments and they have devoted enough time for the issue of lowering the voting age to 16 years. From 2011 to 2015, at the federal level it has lost ground to Liberals. However, their show at provincial elections has been better and they have been able to send a younger lot to the provincial assemblies.

NDP seems to be capitalizing on the numbers that it can garner by sending a message to the youth that it cares for them. The purpose of NDP is not only to empower youth but also to get “in power”.