I Only Date Boys Who Vote
Published: October 6, 2011
A group of University of Toronto political science students want you to release your inner political animal so badly, they have created their own campaign : I Only Date People Who Vote.
“Sitting on your butt on election day is not going to fly,” said fourth year student Faith Goldy-Bazos, co-founder of the campaign.
The campaign, intended to engage young people in political discourse and to get them out on Election Day, began as an idea last spring during the federal election.
Goldy-Bazos and co-founder Ashley Lefler, also a fourth year student, are not only concerned about the decline in youth voting; they also want young people to start talking about politics and to see that they have a stake in the political process.
“In starting this campaign we wanted to generate a conversation,” said Lefler. “It’s not enough to just go out and vote. It’s also about knowing why you’re casting a ballot and understanding there is something for you in society.”
To get the conversation started they’ve designed T-shirts bearing the slogan, “I only date boys that vote,” -- or girls, depending on your dating preference. The pair has a contingent of volunteers helping out with the campaign,and they all can be seen wearing the T-shirts on and around campus.
Chelsea Jackson, a volunteer with the campaign, said, “If you see us wearing our T-shirts, stop us and ask us why we vote, ask us about the issues and why voting is important to us.”
Goldy-Bazos said there is ample opportunity to educate voters.
“One of the most interesting points we came across during our conversations from café-to-café, bar-to-bar was, that if people had some sort of an issue they cared about, they were surprised there was a policy that addressed it,” she said.
The students plan to keep the campaign going after the election.
“We want to inspire conversation beyond the election. It’s so important, we don’t just care about this one vote; this is our future. We all have a stake, we need to understand that,” said Lefler.
To find out more about the campaign, watch their video I Only Date People Who Vote! To contact the group go to the campaign website.
But more important, get out and vote.
