THUNDER BAY – A decision by Elections Canada not to offer its on-campus voting in the upcoming federal election could have real impacts on youth voter turnout, says the Lakehead University Student Union.
Over 110,000 votes were cast at colleges and universities across the country as part of the Vote on Campus program in the 2019 election. That included 983 votes at a Lakehead University polling station, said Elections Canada regional media advisor Réjean Grenier.
While not all of those were necessarily from students, LUSU president Lahama Naeem said it offered an important option.
The student union will be working hard to inform students on their voting options, and encouraging them to vote, but she believes the lack of campus voting could lower turnout this time around.
“I think it’s a possibility, especially for students that are on residence and living away from home,” she said. “A lot of those students are first years who are new to Thunder Bay, and they might not know where to go, or might be uncomfortable leaving campus.”
Elections Canada has blamed the decision on the short election timeframe and the pandemic, saying it plans to run Vote on Campus again in future elections.
“The program requires significant advance planning and close collaboration with campus administrators, who help us secure the spaces we need and find workers to deliver the program,” the agency said in a statement.
Naeem said she was sympathetic to those constraints, but still found the result disappointing.
That sentiment was shared by Lakehead psychology student Alicia Sandham.
“I think it’s honestly not a very good decision in terms of whether or not you want people to vote,” she said. “I feel like it’s the most important for people my age to vote, because it’s our future.”
There’s a lot at stake for youth in this election, said Naeem, with a couple of issues seeming to particularly resonate amongst Lakehead students.
“A really big one I’ve been hearing a lot of students talk about is the climate crisis – a lot of young folks are really concerned,” she said. “Another one is definitely tuition and student fees.”
Students still have multiple options to vote, Elections Canada has pointed out. Those include voting at their designated polling station on advance voting days or election day on Sept. 20, or voting early at an Elections Canada office before Sept. 14, or applying to vote by mail, which also comes with a looming deadline.
Voters can learn more about ways to vote, check their voter registration, and find their polling station online.
Post-secondary students can opt to vote in either their home or campus riding.
