Students of St. Timothy High School took to the polling stations this morning to mimic the federal election taking place today.
All 235 students had the opportunity to vote in a climate similar to what electors will experience at polling stations across Cochrane, as part of the nationwide Student Vote program, which brings democracy to life in the classroom.
Students from 10 other Cochrane schools, along with several others in the surrounding area, are participating in Student Vote. It is organized by Civix Canada in partnership with Elections Canada. The goal is to build habits and confidence within youth to encourage lifelong participation in Canada’s democratic system.
Adem Campbell, one of the school’s three social studies teachers, said that in advance of the vote, candidates and parties were researched, and voting lists were prepared. When students entered the queue, they registered, voted in secrecy and then placed their ballot in the designated ballot box.
“It’s a great stepping stone for students and for the staff to get them engaged, get them part of the voting process and get them climatized to what it’s like to experience a voting day,” said Campbell.
“We have our student IDs, and we have our attendance list to make sure everything is authentic and proper and is as close to the real deal to give them that experience. Hopefully, when they hit that magical age of 18, they, in turn, take part and stay active in their citizenship here as a Canadian and as an Albertan.”
He said the school took a team approach, with the classes of all three social studies teachers preparing information in advance of the election.
Students were assigned political parties to research, which were not necessarily the political parties of their choice.
Campbell believes that understanding those with whom we disagree — or with whom we don't ideologically align — sometimes leads to calmer waters and more peaceful discourse.
“I think a big part of what a student’s education should be is learning both sides of the political spectrum, the economic spectrum, all of that — and just having them engaged in the full process to totally understand who they support, why they support what they believe in, and making sure they also understand those that they disagree with. That’s a key component of it.”
RELATED STORY
On the day of the vote, the Grade 9 students manned the polling stations, complete with scrutineers. Among them was Ceilidh Ruff.
“We all got to participate in making posters, setting up ballot boxes, setting up the whole polling station,” she said. “Participating in this is so much fun.”
She said it was a valuable experience in researching the candidates and their political parties and learning how a ballot works.
The results of how students voted will trickle in after the federal election polls close tonight.
