St. Albert students will join tens of thousands of other Albertans this week as they cast their ballots in a mock federal election.
Thousands of Alberta students will to head to the polls this week to cast ballots in a mock federal election as part of the 2019 Student Vote campaign.
Run by the charity CIVIX, the Student Vote program aims to get students engaged in local politics so they’re more likely to vote in elections when they turn 18, said spokesperson Frédérique Dombrowski. The program sees students learn about democracy, elections and their local candidates, and wraps up with a school-wide mock election complete with ballots and polling stations. This month’s mock poll will see some 200,000 Albertans cast votes, making it the biggest Student Vote yet in Alberta.
Elections are the foundation of democracy, and these mock votes make students more likely to cast real ballots once they come of age, said Brandon Andreychuk, who is running his fourth Student Vote campaign at Paul Kane.
“If you have people who are engaged, interested and excited to vote, these are things that allow the (democratic) process to continue.”
Young voters
The Gazette spoke with eight students from Andreychuk’s Social 30 class this week about the federal election. Four plan to vote in the federal election and six have jobs as poll workers.
Kyle Anderson said he’d be a poll clerk this weekend at the advance polls and plans to vote in his first federal election later this month.
“It’s a good experience to know how the backbone of the election works,” he said of working at a polling station, and his grandmother recommended he give it a try.
Anderson said his family is very interested in politics and talks about it all the time at breakfast and dinner. Like many of his fellow students, he watched last week’s leaders’ debate with interest.
“It was actually quite childish,” he said, with leaders always arguing and insulting each other.
“It kind of shows who’s childish and who’s not.”
The students flagged climate change and the economy as their top issues this election, with several saying they want to ensure a party that supported Alberta got into power.
“(Liberal leader Justin) Trudeau is really focused on the east coast,” said Jaydin Shuya, “so I’d like to see a little more love for Alberta.”
Katie Lemieux was an undecided voter in the group. While it is exciting to finally have a say in the way the country is run, she said being able to vote is also kind of scary.
“People are saying one vote matters, and now all of us have that one vote that could impact what happens,” she said.
Lemieux said she plans to do more research on the party platforms and to talk with others before she settles on a candidate.
Why vote?
Several of the students said many of their peers do not plan to vote in the federal election, or don’t even know it is going on.
Anderson said he used to be in that camp but is now lobbying his friends to get to the polls since he learned more about this election in class.
“They say, ‘It’s just one (vote). I’m like, ‘Yeah, but what happens if it’s a tie?’”
Shuya agreed, noting his mother worked at a polling station in a recent election where the Conservative candidate won by just three votes.
“One vote can matter,” he said, and he encourages everyone who can to vote.
Elections can be confusing, but all you really need to know at the poll is what you want, Anderson said.
“Vote for your views and your beliefs. If you want the economy to go up and less taxes, vote for the person who does that.”
Andreychuk said Paul Kane’s Student Vote would happen Oct. 17. Student Vote results would be published immediately after Election Canada’s polls close Oct. 21.
