Young voters say affordability is top of mind for the federal election

As millions of young voters prepare to cast their ballots for the first time, there’s a sense of excitement and anticipation leading up to the federal election.

This week, tens of thousands of students took to the polls for advanced voting at post-secondary campuses.

According to a recent leger survey of young voters, Mark Carney’s Liberals have a slight edge in the polls over Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives.

The Leader Spirit spoke to some new voters on the UBC campus, with many saying their main concern is affordability.

“I find that when you look at the rental prices, grocery prices, it’s really expensive,” one student said. “It’s hard to imagine supporting yourself without living with four or five other people.”

Another student, who is 18 years old and voting in a federal election for the first time, says he is most concerned about housing.

“Homeownership is huge to me,” the student said. “It’s a really big issue to me.”

While the turnout for young voters has been down in recent federal elections, the students we spoke to say this has been a major topic of conversation with their peers.

“Everybody I’ve run into has had the election on their minds,” a student said. “We’ve been talking about it, and I do think this is an important election for Canada, especially considering our current trade relations.”

According to Elections Canada, over 12,000 students in B.C. cast their ballots, with over 75,000 across the country over three days. While political views and issues can change for many voters come election night, one message remained constant: everyone needs to get out and vote.