Some Canadians say they’re choosing not vote in federal election

VANCOUVER, Canada (CNN, KYMA/KECY) - Canadians are heading to the polls Monday in a federal election which has been overshadowed by trade tensions, as well as threats to the nation's sovereignty, from the U.S.

While a record number of people have already cast their ballot, something else is happening: Some are choosing not to vote.

Millions of Canadians voted early in numbers never seen before, but some Canadians don't intend to vote at all, like 20-year-old Chris Grellier.

"No one really calls my name. It's not that I'd think voting is...you shouldn't vote. It's just I feel like if I'm voting, I wanna really get behind it, and if there's no one I really wanna get behind, then it's just throwing my vote in there like it doesn't feel very meaningful to me," Grellier explained.

In the last federal election, about 38% of Canadians didn't vote, and it's a number that's been trending higher in recent years.

Research from Elections Canada shows many potential voters are just not interested in politics, which is why they don't cast a ballot.

Lathan Ganem Stewart is trying to get those people excited to decide the country's next leaders. He's part of a nonpartisan group called New Majority, collecting pledges from voters to cast a ballot on Election Day.

"We're not gonna tell you who to vote for, but we'd really like you to vote, young people don't vote enough and we're trying to change that," Stewart expressed.

Social media messaging, like the one posted to Apathy is Boring's Instagram page, targeting young people is helping as groups say party platforms and promises can feel irrelevant and inaccessible to people who have never voted before.

"We have young people who tell us all the time, you know, my vote doesn't matter. Um, maybe they live in a riding that hasn't changed representation in in their entire lifetime," said Sam Reusch, Executive Director of Apathy is Boring.

But rising social isolation affects voter turnout too, says John Beebe, an educator with Toronto Metropolitan University.

"Long term trends of people being less and less involved in civic organizations, religious institutions, unions, you know, just going out for a running club. And when we feel closer to our community, we're much more likely to understand that voting is a way to strengthen community," Beebe explained.

Most Canadians agree: This is a high-stakes election. However, it's unclear, at this point, if that will mean a historic voter turnout.