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But with the planet in jeopardy, if they’re any good at politics at all, the NDP and Greens, unsullied by the disappointments of governing, should be able to gather up the disaffected.

The turnout nerds at Elections Canada aren’t content with this, however. They are planning to harness the creative energies of 13 “influencers” — “Olympic athletes, television personalities, singer-songwriters and YouTubers,” The Globe and Mail reports — to try to encourage young people to register to vote, at a cost of $650,000.

The problems here are myriad. It is almost guaranteed to end badly.

Photo by Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press

These “influencers” will have to forswear any partisan activities for the duration of their tenure with Elections Canada and for a year after, and if Elections Canada is smart it’s going to define “partisan” very broadly indeed. A good many Conservatives think the organization has it in for their party, and no matter how ridiculous or unfair Chief Electoral Officer Stéphane Perrault might think that is, it’s his problem. If Elections Canada doesn’t have credibility, it doesn’t have anything. Any message that touches on election issues, even in the most obsequiously even-handed way imaginable, will be seen by partisans as biased against them, depending on the issue.

Even if you think there’s an inherent virtue in voting (I don’t), when it comes to incentives, appeals to some amorphous idea of civic duty or “making your voice heard” are no match for motivated partisans pitching you their ideas, parties or candidates. That’s a feature, not a bug; elections aren’t supposed to be anything other than contests of ideas, parties and candidates. If parties desperate for the youth vote can’t get people to the polls when they’re free to demonize their opponents as enemies of civilization and despoilers of the Earth, what makes Elections Canada think some Olympic trampolinist or YouTuber can do better under strict instructions to keep it neutral?

The whole idea of divorcing a get-out-and-vote message from the issues that make up partisan campaigns is just odd: You don’t even get a badge, or a free hot dog. Why would anyone vote if they don’t care? Why would we want them to? These are questions from an ancient debate between Turnout Nerds and Apathetics. They will never be answered. Elections Canada should stay out of it.

• Email: cselley@nationalpost.com | Twitter: cselley