Most of the 1,400 students walking the halls at Calgary’s John G. Diefenbaker High School are still too young to vote in Monday’s federal election.
But on Friday, they made their voices heard in another way — participating in Student Vote Canada initiative.
“It’s good to be able to have a say in what happens, even if it’s just a little bit,” explained Alexander Manns, a Grade 12 student.
John G. Diefenbaker is one of more than 7,100 schools taking part in the event across Canada — where more than 800,000 students are expected to cast a ballot in what Student Vote Canada on its website calls an “experiential learning” opportunity.
The objective is to help students face the unknowns of the voting process and get more exposure to politics at a young age, according to teacher Bill Hilton.
“The kids have been having lots of conversations about it, so I know they’re interested,” he said.
“But not everybody is sure what to do, so the one thing we can do is make sure the party they’re voting for is going to be carrying out their wishes.”
Partway through the morning long vote on Friday, Hilton estimated roughly 1,000 students would fill out a ballot, which is about 70 per cent of the student body.
“I felt particularly strong this time,” Hilton said. “What’s happening with the United States, and some of the other issues happening — to me, this election seems extremely important (to young people).”
“The recent current events like the tariffs really piqued my interest,” said Divisha Arora, a 17-year-old student.
“Before that I wasn’t so sure about voting itself, and if it’s impactful. Who to vote for wasn’t also a big priority, but now, it’s more important.”
Several seniors at the school got the chance to work behind the scenes, getting a firsthand look at the election process by acting as returning officers.
It’s especially impactful for Manns, who recently turned 18 and will be able to vote for the first time on Monday.
“I wanted to get more involved with it, get more experience for myself (and) see how it is from my perspective since I’m so new to it.”
According to Elections Canada, voter turnout as a whole hasn’t been above 70 per cent in any federal election since 1993.
Although it rebounded in 2015, reaching 68.3 per cent — largely thanks to more voters aged 18-24 turning out — it’s declined in both elections since.
Less than half of voters aged 18-24 had a say in the 2021 federal election, compared to 75 per cent of voters aged 68-74.
Hilton hopes events like this will help change that for the better.
“I hope it will create a sense of responsibility going forward,” he said. “They’re the ones to be relied upon to show up and vote and carry our society forward.”
All participating schools in Student Vote Canada have to turn in their ballots by Monday afternoon. And just like the real thing, the results will be tallied and posted online later that night.
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