Political hopeful sets sights on youth vote
[attach]3905[/attach]William Molls sits in a midtown coffee shop, just up the road from where he spent his early childhood, discussing his latest project.
The 23 year old is happy to answer questions about [url=http://www.voteto16.ca/]VoteTO16[/url], a lobbying effort to lower the voting age to 16 in Toronto’s municipal elections.
Molls takes particular interest in city council races. In fact, the radio and television arts graduate became one of the youngest candidates to run in last fall’s campaign when he entered what proved to be a hotly contested race for St. Paul’s Ward 22.
With longtime councillor Michael Walker retiring, the council seat was up for grabs.
From the beginning, the race had strong contenders in school trustee (and eventual winner) Josh Matlow and Walker’s executive assistant, Chris Sellors. With little political experience, and no profile in the community, Molls didn’t have much of a chance, but with poise and a thoughtful platform of ideas, he shone.
At a pre-election debate, many in the audience said they were impressed by Molls’s strong performance, and even fellow candidates seemed struck by his presence.
Though he may have gained respect on election night, Molls garnered less than four percent of the vote, half as much as Elizabeth Cook, the fourth candidate who rarely made public appearances during the campaign.
“I’ll admit that I was a little bit disappointed,” Molls said. “But to be honest, it was still a victory.”
He considers it a victory, Molls says, because he made important political connections in the community and learned a lot about the political game.
He scoffs at the notion that his young age may have hurt his campaign.
“It might have been a deterrent for some people, but I actually think it’s part of the reason that other people voted for me,” he said. “We need a youth advocate; we need someone who actually understands what it’s like to be a young person.”
Molls came back to live in St. Paul’s a few years ago after moving to Stratford when he was eight. After graduating from Ryerson University, he utilized his communications skills to generate support for his campaign through social media.
He is now using Twitter and Facebook for the VoteTO16 campaign to drum up support.
Both the news media and the government need to work at making politics more relevant to the public, he says.
“I feel like they could be doing a lot more to make it a more engaging subject,” he said. “The politicians, as well, need to be working harder and engaging people that wouldn’t otherwise be involved in politics.”
With a federal election on the horizon, Molls is contemplating the next step in his political career.
“I will be seeking the nomination of the NDP in St. Paul’s, to run as the NDP federal candidate,” he said days before the Tory government was toppled.
An NDP spokesperson confirmed that Molls would likely be seeking the nomination uncontested.
Molls said he knows he may struggle at first to be taken seriously but is not deterred by it.
“I know, just like during the council race, it’s going to be a long shot but that’s where I strive,” he said. “I love being the underdog.”