B.C.’s political parties are setting their sights on the fickle youth demographic, trying to attract as many votes as possible in a tight election.
Turnout by voters aged 18 to 34 is the lowest among any age group, but also a source of strength for the B.C. NDP, polling data show.
About 48 per cent of decided voters aged 18 to 34 support the B.C. NDP, compared with 26 per cent for the B.C. Liberals, 17 per cent for the B.C. Greens and nine per cent for the B.C. Conservatives, according to an Oraclepoll Research survey commissioned by the Times Colonist.
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The NDP lead tightened to less than two percentage points against the Liberals among voters aged 35-54, and flipped to a two-point Liberal lead among voters 55 and over, according to the poll.
The Green party saw its support drop to nine per cent among voters 55 and older, while the Conservatives surged to 14 per cent.
Support for the NDP among youths is tempered by the lower likelihood that they will cast ballots. Voter turnout for people 34 and younger was less than 34 per cent in the 2009 provincial election.
“Young people are a demographic that’s been traditionally ignored by all parties,” said Nicole Paul, 22-year-old president of the B.C. Young Liberals and provincial Liberal youth campaign director.
“This election, there has been more of a focus, and young people are going to be a very important demographic as long as they get out and vote.”
The Liberals have active university and college clubs to encourage young voters, said Paul, who studies political science at the University of Victoria. She said youth are attracted to the Liberal focus on job creation, and she isn’t sure why repeated polls (including recent Angus-Reid surveys) show high NDP support from young people.
Young NDP member Negin Saadati said she thinks the Liberal government’s lack of help on student loans and other debt is “a really good reason to vote for the NDP.”
An NDP proposal to move the provincial election to the fall could help youth voter turnout because many students have already left for summer jobs by the May 14 voting day, said Saadati, an 18-year-old UVic student.
B.C. Greens are trying to address the problem of travelling students with a campaign that encourages them to vote before summer travels.
Greens hope to tap first-time youth voters through social media, house parties and “a very aggressive campaign for youth voters,” said Andrew Weaver, candidate in Oak Bay-Gordon Head.
“I think we’re seeing a lot of youth support because they see hope in our platform and the people we’re running,” said Weaver, a UVic climate science professor.
Elections B.C. is targeting young voters with smartphone apps, humorous radio ads, transit advertising and student vote activities in 765 schools, said spokesman Don Main.
After the 2009 election, Elections B.C. recommended pre-registering 16- and 17-year-olds so they would easily flow onto the voters list and be more likely to vote at 18. But the government didn’t authorize the request.
Provincewide, the Oraclepoll survey found the NDP had 41 per cent support from all decided voters, versus 37 per cent for the Liberals, 12 per cent for the Greens and 10 per cent for the Conservatives.
• The poll was a random telephone survey of 1,000 people, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 per cent, 19 times out of 20. — Times Colonist
> Advance turnout strong, A4
