With the federal election just six months away, parties will be trying to win over millennials.
The 2015 election saw an 18.3 percent increase in the number of 18- to 24-year-olds who went to the polls.
On Saturday a forum was held at HEC Montreal for young Montrealers, where various election issues were discussed.
It was organized by Force Jeunesse, an advocacy group for young workers in Quebec.
Guests included MNA Ruba Ghazal and Jean-Francois Roberge, the provincial Minister of Education.
The participants’ concerns included the environment, gender roles, and the impact of social media.
“Feminism comes up a lot as well, including women getting more parity,” said Chelsea Craig.
“The environment is very important,” said Sara-Lena Grogg, a student at Dawson College. “I think that’s something we can no longer ignore.”
Millennials are now more engaged than ever thanks to technology.
“With the access to information that we have, young people aren’t as disenfranchised as people think we are,” Craig said. “Access to information is at our fingertips.”
Jonathan Seifert spent the 2018 provincial election trying to get young people to the ballot box.
In that election, youth made up about a third of the electorate.
“The more youth talk about it, it’s on social media,” he said. “I went out to vote. It becomes something that’s much more intriguing for young voters.”
They know they have the potential to make an impact at various levels of government.
This week, hundreds of students in Montreal came out to demonstrate against the CAQ's bill banning religious symbols from the public workplace.
"If federal parties are really targetting the ideas that matter to us, we can come out and we can vote," Craig said. "We can vote you in."
