In the FECQ's view, Elections Canada, like the chief electoral officer of Quebec, could be more active when it comes to educating the public. That's an integral part of the equation as far as improving youth voter turnout is concerned. I would say that achieving better voter turnout probably takes as much effort before an election as during. At election time, Elections Canada obviously has to have tools to educate people about the importance of voting, but if it can do more in that regard, then it should.
Getting youth involved in mock parliaments and youth parliaments is essential to help them really understand how our political system works, and to get them excited about the process and interested in it. Programs like Student Vote and its Quebec counterpart, Voters in Training, are also essential because they teach young people what it means to vote, years before they are able to do so.
It is our position that igniting an interest in politics is key if we want people to vote. It has to start close to home. More local education programs are needed in that regard. That's the way to help young people better understand politics at the national level.