聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Participating in the Student Vote Campaign, the Canora Composite School student body voted in favour of the Conservative candidate by a wide margin.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 After researching the candidates in the Yorkton-Melville federal riding, the students went through a realistic exercise of what it would be to actually cast a ballot in the federal election. In the shadow election exercise in which students from across the country participated, students cast their ballots on October 15, although the official polling day was October 19. Because the students are under age, they were not able to vote in the real election, but they were able to learn from the process.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 What seemed intimidating to students at first, quickly became a fun exercise, said Ronda O鈥橠ell, who with fellow teachers Cindy Sznerch and Colin Knight, oversaw the whole process. Teachers from all grades worked with the students to do research about the candidates and the political parties. Students from Grade 12 were in charge of creating and running the polling station.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 There were 235 students from grades 5 to 12 who were eligible to vote, but according to the final tally, only 209 ballots were cast, O鈥橠ell said. That translates into about 90 per cent of eligible voters exercising their voting rights.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Schools participating in the program had to abide by a rule set out by the Student Vote Campaign that results would not be released until the actual election polls closed on October 19.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 According to the CCS vote tally, Cathay Wagantall of the Conservative Party received 47 per cent of the votes.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Elaine Hughes of the Green Party came in second with 24 per cent of the vote.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Doug Ottenbreit of the NDP received 15 per cent of the vote.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Brooke Malinoski of the Liberal Party was in fourth place with 14 per cent.
The CCS election concluded last week but the students had to wait until this week to discuss the results as compared to the results from polling day on Monday from the actual election. What the students were eager to determine was how the school鈥檚 results would compare to the Yorkton-Melville riding and the national results, said O鈥橠ell.
She noted that 鈥渟tudents from across the country have taken to Twitter using the hashtag #studentvote2015.鈥�
The high school students did participate in the student Vote Campaign during the 2011 federal election, but this year the program was expanded to involve students from Grade 5 to Grade 12, O鈥橠ell said. The program can be applied to all election events from municipal to federal elections.
鈥淭he purpose is to provide young Canadians with an opportunity to experience the voting process firsthand and build the habits of informed and engaged citizenship,鈥� she said.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The role of the teacher is to keep the students engaged in the electoral process, accomplished through activities such as conducting research into the parties, candidates and issues, and fostering dialogue among each other and their families, O鈥橠ell said.
鈥淏y practicing the habits of informed and engaged citizenship at an early age, students will be more inclined and prepared to participate in our democracy when they graduate high school,鈥� she said.聽
