Locals discuss how lack of education could hinder youth votership

By Shelbey Hernandez

 

Windsor residents are discussing how education can determine the likelihood of younger generations to vote.

For this year’s municipal election, there are 12 mayoral candidates. Even though there are more candidates running than in previous years, some residents are concerned not enough youth are interested in voting.

“I always vote in every election,” said 76-year-old Beverly Brown. “When I was young, we always voted. The whole family always voted. A lot of countries are oppressed—they can’t do that. That’s a freedom we have and so I think it’s very important that young people vote.”

For Brown, education played a huge role in how she viewed voting. She said voting is important because it allows her to have a say in what goes on in her country and her community. She said no one has a right to complain about how the country is run if they don’t plan on voting.

Mohammad Akbar, a political science student at the University of Windsor, said voting is extremely important to him because his parents, back in their home country, were unable to vote. In his case, he was educated quite a bit about politics and voting.

“I would like to see educators make an effort to teach politics prior to elections so that youth may make an informed decision,” said Fawn O’Brien, an individual who has been out of school for two years. “I know some of my peers have said, ‘I don’t even know who is running or why, so I don’t want to vote because I cannot make an educated decision.’”

Not being educated about voting is a reason why Amy Thomson doesn’t plan to vote in the upcoming election. She said she doesn’t think she should bother voting until she has more knowledge about it.

When it comes to how political campaigns are laid out, Akbar said they are meant for all audiences which makes them less appealing to the youth.

“There are a variety of ways to engage youth through social media and through person-to-person discussions, but it is often difficult for candidates to engage youth in these ways due to their campaigns being geared towards the general population,” said the 23-year-old University of Windsor student. “In addition, youth face disillusionment with not only the structure, but also the processes of voting.”

Some mayoral candidates this year have taken a step towards more social media outlets. Drew Dilkens, for example, has been using his Facebook account to promote himself. Although his account has been active since 2007, he began using it to promote his mayoral candidacy in August 2014.

Voting day for Windsor is on Oct. 27. Residents will be asked to vote for a mayor, city council members and school board trustees. If anyone has any questions regarding the elections, they can call 311. If they need more detailed information, they can call (519)-255-6285. Residents can also find out their perspective voting station locations by going onto the City of Windsor website.