So here’s what OPSEU is telling young people today: Don’t Vote.
You may think a message of #DontVote makes no sense at election time, but there is method in our madness.
Let me explain. In his August President’s Message, Smokey lamented that so many Canadians, and particularly young people, don’t bother to vote. I find it heartbreaking.
Because of falling voter turnout, The Provincial Young Workers Committee, with the encouragement of OPSEU’s Executive Board and the Central Political Action Committee, developed a provocative campaign to encourage young people to vote in the federal election. The best way to get the attention of youth was through something humourus and edgy. The result: Tell them to Don’t Vote.
I’m happy to say the campaign is working. Young people are taking notice.
The campaign was launched in Toronto on August 13 at OPSEU’s Young Workers Conference. The campaign is using traditional mobilizing tools such as posters, flyers, and buttons, along with social media tools such as content on OPSEU’s website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Visit the Facebook page here. Follow the campaign on Twitter at @DontVoteCanada. Check out our pics on Instagram at @dontvotecanada. Send these links to your friends and family.
With the election less than six weeks away, the campaign is kicking into high gear.
The campaign just unveiled its theme song called Don’t Vote, performed by the Ottawa band Arms of the Girl. Carolyn Côté, the band’s lead singer, who is also a professor at Algonquin College and a member of OPSEU Local 415, crafted the song’s great lyrics in the Don’t Vote campaign’s distinctive tone.
You can listen to the song here.
Soon the Young Workers Committee will release a music video to highlight the song and give the campaign an even higher profile.
Let me make clear that the goal of the campaign is not to tell young people which party they should vote for. We just want them to actually vote. It’s particularly important to engage young people now. After all, it’s their country. So repeat after me: Don’t Vote!
In solidarity,
Eduardo (Eddy) Almeida
First Vice-President/Treasurer