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NEWS “MORE YOUNG PEOPLE NEEDED IN POLITICS: TEEN Continued from page 1 ton Hills at 28.09 per cent (from 29.42 per cent). Peter Graefe, a political- Thursday, November & number of: writs could be contributing to the d zi ing numbers for municipal elections, including diffi- culty of voters to get infor- mation, less media cover- age for local campaign: and the absence of} political party banners to help sim- plify choices. The particularly low turnout in some regions could also speak to some- thing more profound, he suggested, where people with their vote, completely disempowered, or discon- nected from their political communities. Atjust17, Shyan Hayder of Nav Nanda for Ward 7 town oth fg and regional councillor in Oakville — and helped her defeat the incumbent by more than 500 votes. wuite Grade 12 Seooadeae at Sec School tas seen volved inelection campaigns at all levels for years. With many of his peers finding politics boring, he said, more young candidates and volunteers wouldm mot vate them t volved in "an and k Tocal isles. u have to create a chain l "he said. "That's how it starts: " Echoing that sentiment was Kirsten Kelly. Going into the race, the 19 year old — who won a seat on Halton Catholic District School Board GHCDSB) for Burlington Wards 1 and 2 — realized that ine off against an incumbent was “an uphill attle. The former student Graham re/ Metroland says aj New Catholic school board trustee Kirsten Kelly shouldn't deter someone from running in an cloation trustee for HCDSB put all efforts into the campaign, while being cognizant of the low turnout in past elections. "I knew that I had to go door-to-door more and urge (people) to vote on election day," said the Uni- versity of Waterloo under- graduate student, noting that the use of social media wi encouraging youth engage- please email Fio ment. "It's (voting) not as big a priority for young people, which I do find unfortu- nate,” Kelly sai thers who ‘may hi change this include two councillors-elect from Mil- ton and Halton Hills, Adil Khalgi, 22, and Joseph Ra- cinsky, 20. Khalqi said that he's committed to “ensuring that young people have the Ew outtelelcsucaje-tusst-iune) etetebeet—ce bt: ability to be part of institu- tions and organizations that shape long-term deci- sion-making, and are in charge of serving the com- ity. “Being a young person would add value to council and fill in a perspective that is not too common in council. Diverse _re- presentation matters," he aid. While admitting that his age came up on occasion during the election cam- paign, Racinsky felt his passion likely struck a chord with some voters. "If they wanted someone with energy and enthusi- asm, that's why people vot- ed for me. If age was a con- cern, they probably didn't," he said. Graefe cautioned that if people don't practise their voting rights, and the dis- mal turnout "trend contin- ues, "chances are they'll see thei junicipal govern- ments become less and less important institutions and more and more powers will get exercised at the level of the provincial government." One way to encourage greater political participa- tion is to create a sens of belonging in commun: “There's more comme nity building that has to be done where people actually feel that we're a communi- ty and we c: ike deci- sions together and those decisi a dif- Kelly hopes that more people, re- gardless of age, would see importance of munici- pal elections and "i impacts the smallest issues. inour life," while Hayder— apolitical aficionado —en- courages parents an open inind ce allow their kids to get involved in politics. STORY BEHIND THE STORY: Amid an espe- cially low voter turnout in Halton's municipal elec- tions, we wanted to exam- ine a potential bright spot and how that could help bolster young voter engage- ment in the future. DIRECTORY, u’d like to advertise your place of worship in this feature com or call 289-293-0691 OAKVILLE ADVENTIST COMPANY GLEN ABBEY UNITE! URCH REV. TED VANCE akville Pentecostal Virtual Worship Services on Zoom: ‘SUNDAY NOVEMBER 6TH: Apostolic Centre Zoom ID : 867 6764 2331 Please come to this worship SPECIAL OAKVILLE Saturdays 10 AM - 1:00 PM PENTECOSTAL Wednesdays 7:00 PM RANCE APOSTOLIC CENTRE ‘Thursdays 6:30 PM SUNDAY Pastoral Services Available for Community q (St. Paul's United Church) kville, ON In-person worship resumes July 9th, 2022. inday Service 12:30 - 3PM Worship Service It’s your choice: ‘WORSHIP LIVE AT 10AM! ‘As of July 9°, 2022 - choose between In-person io (1250 McCraney Street East) ‘and Virtual zoom services. OR VIEW ON-LINE SERVICE ON YOUTUBE LATER Services may be accessed virtually and in person kc “We Press O in” www.glonabboyunitedchurch.com To help your Church minister to so many, Sunday Evening: 7:30-9PM (Via Zoom Virtual Platform) “Covid-19 Safety Protocols Strictly followed.* ‘Tel: 416-892-8123 Te owen (Gos Pi tor) onat pieese sand anit revel Ch A iwen (Senior Pastor) nations @glenabbeyunitedchurch.com Fax: 1-866-281-5983 Par Co enmnigins (cass teco Trofeo Bishop M. Brissett Pastor Dean Lashington (Lead Elder) ‘Twitter: @Oakvillesda Email: mjbrisse@yahoo.ca JESUS IS LORD Email: oakvillechurchsda@gmail.com [fq insidehalton.com