A month ago, CBC personality and comedian Rick Mercer put out a call to students and youth across Canada: on May 2, go and vote.

Mercer was trying to combat the rising levels of political apathy that has infected 18- to 25-year-olds across the country. Last election only 37.4 per cent of youth cast a ballot.

What he did not expect was the mass response he would garner.

The appearance of “vote mobs” across the country has become one of the main stories of the 2011 federal election: the mass mobilization of students engaging in non-violent direct action to encourage other young people to inform themselves and mark their ballot next week.

Vote mobs are non-partisan events that aim to provide awareness about the importance of the singular voice in the democratic process, not to provide support for any political candidate or party.

Many vote mobs are doing so by filming YouTube videos on campuses across the country and in public spaces, in order to show Ottawa that they refuse to be ignored.

While some politicians and commenters have accused the vote mob movement as “silly,” full of “circus clowns,” “political radicalism” and using dangerous language (though the phrase is a play on “flash mobs,” some politicians have frowned at the negative implications of the “mob” rhetoric), the movement is aiming for a larger message that many partisan politicians are failing to grasp.

The bickering and character assassinations that our candidates resort to will not convince youth. Instead, we are determined to show how deeply we care about the legitimacy of our democracy and to have a voice in it.

“ The biggest mistake our politicians have made thus far was ignoring us. If they’re scared now, it is because they should be.

The exponential increase in the use of technology – even since the last federal election – has had a stunning implication on youth activism and mobilization. Many of the vote mobs, Winnipeg’s included, began through social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

The vote mob sweep is only the first phase in an inevitable broader movement of youth-led democracy.

In the five weeks since the dissolution of Parliament, the balance between our political parties has shifted, and this is largely due to the online community. In previous elections, the mainstream media has had control of our responses, levels of engagement and analysis of the campaign; now social media is changing that.

Bloggers willing to dig through archived photos and students with video cameras are posting viral websites and news feeds that reach Internet users immediately and force a reaction. And while no one knows how strong the overall affect of these websites and videos will be, that uncertainty threatens to shake the system.

The fear of that shaking system is a key factor in this election. Will this be the election the Green Party finally gets a seat? Will the Conservatives take the biggest majority in Canadian history or will they slide in as a bare minority with Jack Layton as prime minister?

While some of these ideas were laughable five weeks ago, even the seasoned pundits are afraid to make a call now, with only a week left before Election Day.

And this is exactly why we should be celebrating the shaking of the system. For the first time in recent Canadian history, democracy seems to be returning in the most traditional sense of the word: the combined power of people across Canada who are determined to raise their voice through the casting of their ballot – strategically or not.

Will this raise the percentage points of 18- to 25-year-olds voting in this election? We hope so.

But even if it does not, the initiation of this movement is a promise that in October when we vote for our provincial legislature, and in our next federal and municipal elections, youth will finally have to be acknowledged.

The biggest mistake our politicians have made thus far was ignoring us. If they’re scared now, it is because they should be.

The Winnipeg Youth Vote Mob is Wednesday, April 27 beginning at noon at the University of Winnipeg campus. All are welcome to come to this non-partisan, pro-democracy event.

Devin Morrow is a 2009 University of Winnipeg graduate with a degree in Politics.