Since 2018, New Majority has helped tens of thousands of citizens vote for the first time. This non-profit organization has one objective: getting Gen Z and Millennials to the polls.
During the 2021 federal election, 47 percent of people aged 18-24 voted, while 75 percent of those aged 65-74 cast a ballot. New Majority sees a big importance in eliminating this discrepancy and getting young voters to the polls. Janie Moyen, New Majority’s national organiser, said: “That’s a really big missed opportunity that we have to give our opinion, whatever that opinion may be, on who we want to represent us. Our vote is another way to use our power in society as citizens.” As the electoral majority, youths between 18 and 44 could make a big difference if they used their right to vote.
Why Youth Don’t Vote
According to New Majority’s executive director, Amanda Munday, it’s a matter of access and accessibility. “When we walk up to a young person on the street and say ‘Hey, there’s a provincial election on October 21st. Do you have a plan to vote?’, more than 50% of the people we talked to had no idea an election was happening.” She said that many young people want to vote and have their voices heard, but there are barriers preventing this from happening.
These barriers would include the lack of information available to youth. Most young people get their political knowledge from family and friends or social media. Munday explained that news sources and information can be blocked by apps such as Meta, Instagram or Facebook. It can be very difficult for youth to get unbiased information. She also pointed out that unlike other generations, Gen Z doesn’t necessarily adopt a certain political party. They connect with what issues they find important and look for candidates who speak out about those same issues.
What New Majority Does
New Majority aims to guide new voters all the way to the polls. They want young people to know about the election, how to get to the polls, and how to vote. In New Brunswick there are currently over 20 volunteers who go on campus and in community locations. They focus on surveying young people to get data on what they care about and if they have a plan to vote. New Majority wants to listen to young Canadians and share their voices. They do this by expressing the issues youth care about on local and national media platforms, though the organization is strictly non-partisan.
Their large staff includes 20 paid canvassers who phone bank: call eligible citizens and remind them to use their right to vote. Once the election nears, these canvassers will also be able to walk first time voters to the polls and guide them through the voting process. There are 400 paid relational organizers working throughout New Brunswick, B.C. and Saskatchewan, who all have provincial elections coming up, and 400 paid relational canvassers who text their friends and inform them about the election. New Majority uses these methods to reach young people, help them organize a vote plan, and remind them to vote. The next opportunity to vote is the provincial election on October 21st.
New Majority is looking for students to join their Community Connector Program, where they can earn $150 for just 6 hours of flexible work leading up to the provincial election. This role is not about telling people who to vote for—it’s about helping young people understand how to vote. As a Community Connector, students have important conversations with friends and peers through Zoom sessions about voting in a way that’s simple and non-partisan. And community connectors get to choose their own schedules! This is a fantastic way for students to earn extra money while making sure their peers understand the voting process, and we’re so excited for our big launch next week!
The only requirements are that students must live in New Brunswick, be eligible to work in Canada, and have access to a computer and internet. Spots are filling up quickly, so don’t wait! Onboarding sessions start October 7th.
For more information about these jobs or about the organization as a whole, visit their website here.