The runner-up for Somerset Ward in Monday's civic election said he hopes to launch a Centretown Young Voters Association to ensure young people can be heard in the next election.
“We need to get young people informed and engaged in municipal politics because it affects their day-to-day lives,” said Don Fex, who came second to Diane Holmes in the city election.
Fex said that, during his campaign, he came across many young students, contract workers, and renters in Somerset who didn’t realize they were able to vote, or didn’t feel involved in municipal politics.
Fifty per cent of the Somerset ward’s 34,000 eligible voters are aged 18-39, but their participation in the past election was “dismal,” Fex said.
He said 9,000 Somerset voters made it out on Election Day, though involvement from could have doubled that number.
“My goal is to make sure they’re engaged in the process by the next election,” he said. “People who aren’t engaged aren’t holding municipal politicians accountable for their needs.”
Fex said he wants the Centretown Young Voters Association to be much like the Centretown Citizens’ Community Association, but more geared towards youth.
He said preliminary talks are underway, and he’s currently looking to put together a board of like-minded people, and eventually recruit members.
With the Christmas season coming up, Fex said further planning may slow down, but he hopes to launch the group officially by spring.
By next election, he said he plans to have an office set up for young people to drop by and get information on the election process and the candidates running, whether he’s campaigning or not.
Fex said his other goal for next election is to get polling stations on university campuses in Ottawa, to make it easier for students to get involved in the voting process.
“We should care about young people because they make up a huge percentage of our population,” Fex said. “There aren’t many people to speak for their level, and I want to be the person to do that.”