To familiarize the student population with the voting process and provide them with the opportunity to participate in the democratic process, Centre Wellington District High School will be having students complete voter registration cards, attend the all-candidates debate, and then head to polling stations set up in their “ridings” (hallways nearest to their classroom in the last period on April 29.
The results will be provided to Student Vote, and they will be broadcast in conjunction with election night coverage on May 2.
The all-candidates debate will take place, in two assemblies on April 26.
The first one will begin at 12:40pm. The second is at 1:15pm.
The Conservative, Liberal, and Green Party candidates have confirmed their attendance. Organizers were waiting on confirmation for the NDP and the Christian Heritage Party candidates.
According to the Student Vote website, Student Vote is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that aims to build the capacity and commitment of young Canadians to participate in their democracy.
Student Vote’s flagship program is a parallel election for students under voting age, coinciding with official elections.
The program combines in-class learning, family dialogue, media consumption, and an authentic voting experience.
The purpose is to provide young Canadians with an opportunity to experience the democratic process firsthand and practice the habits of informed and engaged citizenship.
For more information contact Diane Ballantyne at diane.ballantyne@ugdsb.on.ca visit the Student Vote website at www.studentvote.ca.
