The youth of Teamsters Canada is leading a non-partisan campaign to spread awareness about the October 19th federal elections to other young Canadians.

The main focus has been to reach out, in person, to as many young Canadians as possible and ask whether or not they plan on voting. If the answer is no, members of Teamsters Youth try to start a conversation to better understand why and talk about how easy and important it is to vote.

If the answer is yes, the next step is to photograph the person holding a #yvote sign explaining why he or she is voting. Then, the picture is released on social media to further spread awareness about the importance of youth voting.

“We’re taking young Canadians and turning them into ambassadors for youth voting,” explained Harjinder Badial, the president of the Teamsters Canada Youth Committee.

According to Elections Canada, only 38.8% of eligible young voters participated in the 2011 federal elections. It’s an alarming statistic and cause for concern.

“Young Canadians shouldn’t underestimate their power as voters,” added Francois Laporte, President of Teamsters Canada. “I’m proud that the youth of Teamsters Canada is helping the next generation of Canadians be heard at the polls.”

For important, non-partisan voting information, please visit teamsters.ca/vote or elections.ca

On October 19th, make your voice heard. Get out and vote!

The Teamsters represent 120 000 members in Canada in all industries. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, with which Teamsters Canada is affiliated, has 1.4 million members in North America.