TORONTO - As provincial election campaigns get underway in Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador, idealistic young political junkies are jumping into the fray, eager to both change the world and to prove their generation isn't defined by apathy.

These budding political strategists say general lack of interest among youth who are eligible to vote is not a failing of their demographic, but rather a failing of parties of all stripes to engage young people.

"They don't see themselves represented in any particular candidate, or they feel they don't understand the issues or they feel their vote is wasted,'' said Meghan Mitchell, president of the youth wing of the Newfoundland and Labrador New Democratic Party.

Mitchell volunteered on the last federal election campaign during her first year of studying political science at Memorial University in St. John's. Although she ended up switching parties, to the NDP, after that campaign, she said it was such an exciting time it was hard not to become enthused.

"It was a fantastic experience where you got to take something in class that seemed so theory-based and actually apply it,'' Mitchell said, reminiscing about the campaign days that would sometimes span from 6 a.m. to 3 a.m.

"The discussions we would have at 2 o'clock in the morning on different policies -- I learned more in those four or five weeks than I think I did in a semester.''

Voter turnout was 61 per cent in the 2004 federal election -- a record low. Among those aged 18 to 21 1/2 who were eligible to vote federally for the first time that year, turnout was estimated at 39 per cent, according to Elections Canada.

"It's just so easy to sit there and complain about the problems, but it takes a special kind of person to actually get involved and try to positively effect change,'' said Andrew Brander, 22, president of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Youth Association.

Brander said though it may sound corny, he sees politics almost as a way to be a superhero.

"I liked superheroes a lot as a kid,'' he said.

"As soon as I found out that my dreams of being a superhero were not entirely achievable, I thought that this was sort of the next best thing.''

But Brander didn't get into politics with such lofty ambitions at age 14.

"I first got involved in politics because I needed volunteer community service hours to graduate high school,'' he said.

Brander volunteered for Frank Klees, who was his local Progressive Conservative candidate at the time, and the experience sparked a passionate interest in the political process.

Megan Dietrich, 20, now the co-chair of the Young Greens of Canada, felt drawn to politics from a young age. It all started when she was about 12 years old, an age when children's entertainment choices tend to range from music videos to video games.

"I got involved by watching the leaders' debates on TV,'' she said.

"That's what really got me interested because it seemed so exciting ... I was drawn to the comedy aspect of it.''

Dietrich's passion developed throughout her high school years as she became involved in student politics and she then enrolled as a political science major at the University of Ottawa.

"I biked over to the Green Party office one day and I asked if they were looking for volunteers,'' she said.

She found kindred environmental spirits and a sense of belonging in a smaller party. Dietrich said another plus of volunteering with the Green Party is the greater responsibility that comes with it -- last summer Dietrich was tasked with organizing the national convention.

A common thread among youth organizers in all parties is their drive to not only recruit more young members to their party, but also just to encourage young people to get informed and to vote.

"We go out for green drinks or go out for some beer and talk about politics or watch a movie and talk about politics,'' Dietrich said.

"There always has to be another activity that will get them interested rather than strictly politics.''

During the Ontario election campaign, the Ontario Young Liberals are running a parallel, multi-media-based youth campaign, said Jacob Mksyartinian, its president.

"These are mediums that we (youth) are using on a daily basis,'' he said. In particular, Mksyartinian is taking the message to a social networking website popular among the high school, university and college crowds.

"Facebook is also a huge part of our campaign. We feel that young people are so well tapped into Facebook that in order to reach them, you have to go back to the media that they're using.''