Negativity is discouraging these young adults but they're still planning to cast a vote

Excited to be part of the action but disheartened over the tone in the campaign — that's how first-time voter Andisha Ainuddin is feeling this election.

"I'm really excited about voting. I've always been interested in politics," said the 18-year-old university student.

But now in the midst of the campaign, "it kind of feels like I'm watching this province turn into something like in America — people are really strong about how they want to vote." 

She's not the only one feeling that way. 

CBC News has gone across the province asking people what matters to them this election. And since young adults typically have some of the lowest voter turnout rates, we kept a special watch for any first-time voters who decided to share their views. 

That excitement and frustration were both common, and experts say the confrontational politics these young adults are responding to is likely part of what drives the lower voter turnout. 

But apathy, getting to a polling station and finding the time to vote between multiple part-time jobs can also play a role for young people. Experts say even having access to information about how to vote can be a hurdle.

Tuition hikes a key issue

Ainuddin said affordability and tuition hikes are her top priorities this election. She comes from a family of six and is looking for a new job to help pay her family's expenses.

"Along with inflation, [rising tuition] has made it really unaffordable for students to pay their rent, find food — do what you have to to pay for tuition. It's just been really expensive."

She said she's watched elections closely in the past, and wonders if the tight race is adding to the negative, deflating tone. She's been trying to analyze both main party platforms, and to make sure she's getting her news from credible sources. 

"The election is very split and it's really polarizing since both main parties have equal opportunities to win at the moment," she said. 

After the last provincial vote, Elections Alberta published results of a post-election survey on voter turnout.

They found the majority of the people they tracked who could vote — but chose not to — were youth. That meant, out of all 18- to 24-year-olds in Alberta, only one in four voted.

The overall voter turnout was 68 per cent.

Whether young adults vote or not could have an impact on the outcome in some ridings. A recent Angus Reid poll conducted online between May 12 and 16 found older voters tended to favour the UCP more than younger voters.

Tomi Ajele talks with a lot of young voters in her role as partnerships and engagement manager with Apathy is Boring, a non-profit working to engage and educate youth about the voting process.

She often tells the story of what made her first voting experience discouraging.

"I was really excited to vote in a provincial election in Alberta," said Ajele. "And I remember going to the polls, really looking forward to it and getting in there and being like, 'What? What is this? What are all these names?'"

She was expecting the names of the party leaders. Not the riding candidates. She was lost. 

"I remember … feeling like a fraud because I kind of voted for a random person," she said.

Missing details on how to vote

After that, she started searching for information and discovered Apathy is Boring. Now she helps to host events to talk with more young adults and share what she learned.

It's a myth that young voters are apathetic, she said.

"Youth have been at the forefront of major political movements for centuries.… They are just so uniquely capable to enact change."

When CBC News talked with other first-time voters, many seemed to take the task quite seriously.

At the Genesis Centre, Nestor Mendoza said he hopes to vote for the first time this election, but said the process of sorting through all the mudslinging can be daunting.

"Something that happens a lot is you see the attack ads on YouTube, and maybe that's not exactly what appeals to you," he said. "It's hard to know what exactly each candidate is going for and how it affects life here in the province."

First-time voter Arudra Singh said he asked his voting age classmates if they were going to vote but got a resounding "No." But he's planning to vote.

I'm excited, like, really excited just to be able to put my own input.- Peace Angheche

"It is your choice, obviously," he said. "But I feel like you have a responsibility. You have a say in your government and how things are going to be, so you should take advantage of that."

Like Singh, Peace Angheche says she is looking forward to the responsibility of putting her voice forward.

"I'm excited, like, really excited just to be able to put my own input.… This is my future and the next generation's future, so I have to think about that."

University of Lethbridge political science professor Lars Hallstrom said the divisiveness between parties often leaves young voters without a sense of what the true issues are.

"This is their first run in and they start to see basically a bunch of name-calling," said Hallstrom. "It can be … less than what it should be or what it was imagined to be."

Carving out time to vote

But practical, day-to-day reasons also contribute to low voter turnout among young adults.

"To vote, it may be difficult to juggle the realities of work, and, in some cases, we do know that employers are not always that accommodating in terms of giving people time to go vote," he said.

Plus, students must work around class and exam schedules.

The oldest voting bracket — those 65 and older — are typically retired and have more time to vote than their younger counterparts.

Voting in advance can help, since anyone can vote at any advanced polling station even outside their riding. For convenience, voters should bring proof of identity and their address, whether through a driver's licence or other form of ID. If they don't have ID, they can find someone to vouch for them.

But even with all those options, some people just don't see themselves as voters. It comes down to identity. 

"When people are asked the question of, 'Is there anything that could change your decision to not vote?' The answer is no," said Hallstrom. "They're basically just not voters anymore, if they ever were."

"Historically, female voters tend to vote a little bit more than men. Historically, voter turnout is a little bit higher in Edmonton than it is in Calgary."

As for Ainuddin, she encourages her friends to research the parties and see if they'll find an issue they connect with. Age shouldn't matter, she said.

"Just because someone has less life experience, doesn't mean they don't know as much. We should all have the equal opportunity and right to vote and give out our opinions."

What matters to you this election?

We're still listening. Submit your answer online, and if you'd like to share your experience directly with other Albertans, record your own one-minute video and upload it in the form.

Add your voice to the project here

Questions? Email CBC producer Elise Stolte at [email protected].