Posted at Tuesday, December 6, 2005  EDT  

media & youth: Tuning in as party leaders turn up the volume'The reality is, young people are engaged'

JILL MAHONEY,  SOCIAL TRENDS REPORTER

Just one week into the federal campaign, Colum Grove-White is already well-versed. He follows daily media coverage, eyeballs the parties' websites and has chosen to vote in Toronto, where he is attending university, rather than back home in Victoria.

The 22-year-old has also decided to cast his ballot strategically.

"I'm going to vote for the NDP, not because I want to see Jack Layton run the country but because I'm quite happy with a minority government," said the University of Toronto international relations student.

"It keeps politics a lot more interesting, that's for sure, and it keeps young people a lot more engaged."

Indeed, a new poll suggests 88 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds intend to vote in the coming election and 70 per cent identify with a political party.

"Young people are not apathetic. This image of youth as kind of the tuned-out MTV generation sitting on their couches playing Game Boy is actually pretty condescending. The reality is, young people are engaged, they are aware," said Rudyard Griffiths, executive director of the Dominion Institute, which commissioned the survey along with the Innovative Research Group.

The poll, which was provided to The Globe and Mail, the CBC and La Presse, was completed on-line last week by a representative sample of 2,517 people drawn from a database of young Canadians who agree to take part in surveys. Results are considered accurate to within plus or minus two percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Among young adults outside Quebec, the Liberals hold a slim lead with 28 per cent support. The NDP sits at 24 per cent and the Conservatives at 23 per cent. Eleven per cent of respondents plan to vote for the Green Party. Ten per cent are undecided.

In Quebec, 49 per cent of voters under age 25 intend to vote for the Bloc Québécois. The NDP has 18 per cent support and the Liberals 11 per cent. Eight per cent of respondents plan to vote for the Green Party and 7 per cent for the Conservatives. Five per cent are undecided.

However, the poll also found that 40 per cent of respondents outside Quebec said if they failed to vote, it would likely be because they did not have enough information about the candidates. (Voter turnout among 18- to 24-year-olds usually hovers around 25 per cent.)

In coveting the more reliable, more plentiful votes of older Canadians, Mr. Griffiths said political parties tailor their policies to parents, homeowners and investors -- areas that are of little interest to most teens and 20-somethings.

"Not unsurprisingly, I think younger voters feel like, 'Hey, where's the beef? Where are the issues that I'm concerned about, in not only elections but in our political process?' "

35%

Percentage of young adult fans of rapper 50 Cent who would vote Liberal if the federal election were held today.

31%

Percentage of young listeners of country singer Toby Keith who would vote Conservative if the vote were held today.

28%

Percentage of young admirers of pop singer Gwen Stefani who would vote NDP if the election were held today.