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Ahead of the October 26 municipal elections, two Gen Z candidates in the Greater Toronto Area are putting their names on the ballot to tackle their own community issues.
Thamiraa Ragikaran, 25, is running for Markham Ward 5 councillor, and Ravicha Ravinthiran, 26, is campaigning for Toronto District School Board (TDSB) trustee in Scarborough. Both campaigns stem from a desire to address the everyday problems they see in their own neighbourhoods.
In Scarborough, Ravinthiran’s decision to run began after a conversation with her friends who wanted to leave the area so their future children could access a better education system.
“If my kids are going to be in this education system, and my neighbours’ kids… I would want someone to actually fix these problems,” Ravinthiran said.
Her commitment increased while she was out knocking on doors for her campaign as she heard from parents who said their children lacked basic school supplies, with teachers asking families to provide them.
“I have never had an issue with not having a pencil,” Ravinthiran said, reflecting on her own experience in school.
In Markham, Ragikaran said her campaign focuses on the cost of recreation programs for young people, safer streets and development of community services in Ward 5.
Ragikaran founded the Tamil Youth Society, a youth organization that provides opportunities related to leadership, volunteering and cultural engagement. She said her community involvement influenced her decision to run for city councillor.
“Decisions being made today are what will shape the community we live in for years to come,” Ragikaran said. “Rather than waiting for change, I wanted to take the leap of creating that change.”
Both candidates said their age has led to skepticism about how some people respond to their campaigns.
Ragikaran said she has encountered questions about whether she is experienced enough to run for office.
“Age is just a number at the end of the day,” Ragikaran said. “A year has 365 days, and how you run those 365 days is different from how I run it, which is what shapes our experiences.”
For some young voters, a candidate’s age can influence whether they feel represented. For Daranitha Haridharan, a 21-year old Scarborough resident, seeing Ravinthiran run for TDSB trustee in her ward caught her attention.
Haridharan’s younger sister is in high school, and she said a younger trustee may have a better understanding of the issues students face today
“I think it’s good that someone that’s younger is moving into politics, especially with her being closer to my age, just because she does understand the struggles as opposed to someone in the older generations,” Haridharan said.
Financial literacy is one of the areas Ravinthiran has identified as a priority for students. Haritharan said financial literacy was something she wished she had been taught in high school.
“I didn’t have any of these financial literacy courses, which would have helped me out during tax seasons,” Haridharan said.
That generational difference also shapes how they campaign. Ravinthiran has incorporated her childhood nostalgia in her campaign strategy, using references to The Magic School Bus, Arthur, and retro Toronto Raptors colours in her social media content to stand out from other candidates.
Ravinthiran notes that while handing out flyers along a single street takes an hour, a single TikTok video or Instagram Reel can reach tens of thousands of voters instantly.
Beyond their desire to win their respective races, both candidates share a broader goal of increasing youth turnout in municipal elections. According to Statistics Canada, youth are less likely to vote than older adults; just 53 per cent of youth aged 18 to 30 reported voting in their last municipal election, compared to 78 per cent of adults aged 47 and older. Both candidates believe this results from a lack of civic education and a misunderstanding of how local government impacts daily life.
For Ragikaran, the priority extends beyond her own platform; the goal is to get young voters engaged and showing up to the polls, regardless of who they support on the ballot.
“I think my concern is not you voting for me,” Ragikaran said. “My concern is for you to go and vote.”
Reporter, OTR, F2026.