Students ready to cast their ballots in the upcoming municipal election

The upcoming Ottawa municipal election will give local students a chance to have their voices heard at the polls, with some using it as their first opportunity to vote.

More than half of Canadians aged 18 to 24 voted in the 2025 federal election, according to Elections Canada. Turnout among voters in that age group reached 55.9 percent, up from 46.7 percent in 2021.

There is no comparable age breakdown for Ottawa’s municipal election, but young voters are eager to mark their ballots this month.

For 18-year-old Algonquin College business administration and marketing student Rowan Randall, the upcoming municipal election will be his first opportunity to vote.

Randall wants to use his vote to have a say in what he believes needs to change in Ottawa. Public transit, road infrastructure and housing are among the issues he wants improved.

Twenty-year-old Algonquin College business administration student Finn Swale will also be voting for the first time.

For Swale, the environmental consequences of new technology are a key consideration as he decides how to vote.

“The issue that matters most to me would be the expansion of generative AI and data centres,” Swale said. “Specifically, their impact on the environments around them.”

Swale said seeing what he considers the rapid, unregulated growth of generative AI has made him reflect on the importance of electing the right person to represent his needs.

For 19-year-old Carleton University information technology student Jahiem Simpson, the upcoming election will be his second time voting, but his first in a municipal election.

Simpson, who lives in Stittsville, cast his first vote during last year’s federal election. He said he’s voting in the municipal election because he wants to see improvements closer to home.

“I decided to vote this time around simply because I want to see improvements in my neighbourhood infrastructure,” he said.

The increased participation among younger voters in the 2025 federal election comes as Elections Canada continues to track differences in turnout between age groups.

The municipal election will be held on Oct. 26. Voters can cast their ballots at voting stations in each ward. Locations can be found here.