Council of Canadians: Take the Youth Voter Pledge

Dear James,

It’s time. The federal election is now officially underway, with the first debate happening tonight.

I don’t need to tell you how much is at stake for our communities and for our collective future. After nine years of heading in the wrong direction, it’s time for change.

And I need your help to make it happen.

One of the most important things you can do right now is to take the voter pledge and to ask two friends to do the same.

The voter pledge is our commitment to each other to vote and to inspire at least two other people to commit to voting too. Even though you already plan on voting, signing the pledge is an important way of leading by example to help increase voter turnout.

Increasing voter turnout is at the heart of the Council of Canadians’ campaign to restore our democracy. Harper’s last majority was won by just 6,201 votes across 14 ridings, while over 9 million people didn’t vote.

In the meantime, Harper passed the so-called Fair Elections Act, which will make it difficult for many eligible voters like students, seniors, and Indigenous people to cast a ballot.

Thanks to your support, the Council of Canadians launched a legal challenge against the Fair Elections Act and sought an injunction for this election. The injunction was declined in July, and just yesterday the court denied our request to appeal as the government’s delay tactics pushed the case too close to election day.

The full legal challenge will still be heard, but not until after the election. That’s why it’s more important than ever that Canadians, especially young Canadians voting for the first time, know how to vote.

My team, including rogue page Brigette DePape, is putting the final touches on a youth voter’s guide and a how-to-vote pamphlet for students to be distributed at campuses across the country this fall. I can’t wait to share them with you! There’s even a special youth voter pledge for young Canadians.

Working together to increase voter turnout can change the game this election. Let’s build the future we want, one vote at a time.

It’s time for change, and it’s time for you and I to rise to the challenge.

With hope and resolve,

Maude Barlow
National Chairperson