Grade five student Piper Roberts fills out her ballot during the Student Vote at École Barrie Wilson Elementary on April 15. (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

STUDENT VOTE

Students make their voices heard ahead of provincial election

Apr 15, 2019 | 2:00 PM

While Albertans have flocked to advanced polls in record numbers and will make the decision final on Tuesday, elementary and high school students are also making their voices heard during this provincial election.

Student Vote, a program run by CIVIX, has been offered across the country since 2003.

At Red Deer’s École Barrie Wilson Elementary, 11-year-old grade five student Piper Roberts was excited to vote for the first time.

“I’ve asked my parents a couple questions about it and I’ve done some research. I feel like I’ve come to a pretty good decision,” she said.

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“People should vote because you have that freedom to do so. If you’re feeling lazy, just get up and do it. Don’t be held back. It’s your freedom and right, so you should vote for who you want to be the next premier.”

Over at École Secondaire Notre Dame High School, students in Dean Stevens’ Social Studies 30 class have been learning about the democratic process and what each party’s platform entails in the lead-up to voting day.

Stevens said students have been more engaged during this election campaign than in any other he can remember.

“They understand that their opinions are important, and they know that the results are going to be interesting. This is preparing them for the future,” he said.

“They’re more engaged because Alberta society is more engaged, advanced polls are much higher, and the discussions on economic issues, social issues and everything else are at the front of everyone’s mind.”

Allison Guthrie, a 17-year-old grade 12 student, says voting is a big deal.

Allison Guthrie, a grade 12 student at École Secondaire Notre Dame, casts her vote on April 15. (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

“We’re learning right now about all the different systems that exist in the world, and it’s definitely nice to live in this one,” she said. “No question, when you look at the levels of different freedoms that different systems have, democracies are the best systems to live in because governments are accountable to the people.”

Asked what she thinks about the conduct of candidates during the campaign, Guthrie believes some of it isn’t how Canadians want to be represented.

“Politicians are very incentivized to not necessarily be wise, dignified and professional people. They are kind of incentivized to get attention, and that’s a downside of the system,” she said. “But that’s just kind of how it is.”

She also thinks that while 18 is a good minimum age to vote, she could make an informed one on Tuesday if she were able.

“I try to keep reasonably informed about it all anyway, so I know some stuff outside of what we’ve done in class,” she said. “I know I’m voting for a different party than who my parents vote for and that’s something we talk about relatively frequently, but you have to learn to make your own choices about these kinds of things.”

A total of 1,347 schools in Alberta have registered for Student Vote, roughly 75 per cent of all schools in the province. That includes 950 elementary schools and 350 high schools.

Student Vote results will be released Tuesday night after actual polling stations have closed.