More than ever before, Canada害羞草研究所檚 political parties need to be able to speak to the millennial generation.

The B.C. Federation of Students launched its 害羞草研究所極ur Time is Now害羞草研究所� campaign last week on Vancouver Island in an effort to get students registered and engaged in the lead-up to the Oct. 21 federal election.

According to a report by the BCFS, the 2019 election marks 害羞草研究所渢he first time in 40 years that Canadians under 35 will form the largest age cohort,害羞草研究所� with millennials representing 37 per cent of the electorate.

害羞草研究所淲hich is historic,害羞草研究所� said Tanysha Klassen, chairperson of the B.C. Federation of Students. 害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 a huge number of young people that are going to really be able to shift the vote.害羞草研究所�

In the 2015 federal election, voter turnout among Canadians aged 18-24 spiked to 57.1 per cent, from 38.8 per cent in 2011 and even lower than that in 2008. Klassen said people who vote for a first time are more likely to vote a second time, and so on, 害羞草研究所渟o it turns into a lifelong pattern.害羞草研究所�

She said it害羞草研究所檚 exciting when she害羞草研究所檚 approached by students who have just turned 18 and want to know the process for registering and finding out information about the parties and candidates.

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害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 like a privilege you gain when you become that age and suddenly you can help make decisions,害羞草研究所� said Anouk Borris, chairperson of the Vancouver Island University Students害羞草研究所� Union.

VIUSU launched its get-out-the-vote efforts last Tuesday in Nanaimo as a part of a club information event at the university害羞草研究所檚 cafeteria, and campus young Greens and young Conservatives attended.

Klassen said young people basically care about the 害羞草研究所渆xact same issues害羞草研究所� as other voter groups, with affordability and climate high on the list.

害羞草研究所淲e don害羞草研究所檛 have niche issues but we害羞草研究所檙e also not a homogeneous group,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淓verybody has these similar issues, like the rest of the population does, but the ways that young people want to go about handling those issues varies greatly.害羞草研究所�

The BCFS report notes that there are 害羞草研究所渞eal struggles害羞草研究所� facing millennials including affordability, climate change, human rights and limited access to stable economic opportunities.

害羞草研究所淢illennials will be galvanized to seek solutions,害羞草研究所� the report notes, including at the ballot box.

The report also comments that 害羞草研究所渘egative tropes about youth apathy perpetuated by the media and by pundits are a form of voter suppression害羞草研究所� by suggesting to young people that their vote won害羞草研究所檛 matter because not enough of their peers are voting. The 害羞草研究所極ur Time is Now害羞草研究所� campaign, said Klassen, is meant to empower young people this election.

害羞草研究所淲e know that we get out and vote and that we害羞草研究所檙e activists and that we害羞草研究所檙e engaged,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 just always been a negative narrative through media and older generations saying the young people don害羞草研究所檛 vote, which we all know is wrong, but we need to make sure we get out there and prove that to people.害羞草研究所�

For more information about the campaign, visit .

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