Campaign to Increase Youth Voter Turnout for Climate Justice Ahead of the Federal Snap Election in 2021

Ottawa/Traditional, unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishnaabeg people— Leading up to the 44th Canadian Federal election on September 20th, 2021, Shake Up The Establishment, a youth-led, non-partisan, registered national nonprofit known for providing accessible, evidence-informed resources on the climate crisis is engaging Canadians to vote for the climate, through their “Not Voting F*cking Sucks” campaign. In doing so, they hope to make Canada a world leader in addressing climate change, whilst bringing Canadians together over a crisis that is in dire need of addressing from an equitable standpoint. Chief Research Officer Christina Di Carlo states, “the evidence overwhelmingly supports that this climate crisis will impact all aspects of life, but will disproportionately impact communities of colour, women and gender-diverse people and low-income individuals”. 

The campaign has three primary objectives: to increase youth voter turnout; to increase the public’s knowledge about climate change and the Canadian political system so individuals can make an informed decision for whom to support; and, to centre climate justice as the forefront issue for this election. The group aims to increase awareness and education through accessible resources on Canadian political processes provided on a variety of media platforms in addition to their non-partisan political party platform comparison chart, which was widely-cited in the past Federal election. Moreover, they hope to spark critical conversations about the historical exclusion and oppression of certain communities and the corresponding impact upon voter turnout. They also explore present-day barriers to voting, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Manvi Bhalla, President and Co-founder, says that through these efforts, “SUTE hopes to bring the true spirit of democracy back into the Canadian political landscape, by making information about Federal politics in Canada more accessible and understandable. This will help Canadians elect political leaders that will mitigate our advances towards extinction.”

For more information and/or press inquiries, please email Mei-Ling at [email protected].

List of Resources for the 2021 Federal Election: