Mount A students hoped for bigger gains by NDP and Green Party

The student lounge in the basement of Mount Allison University's student centre was packed Monday night before the polls had even closed.

Sydney Thorburn, a third-year international relations student from Ottawa, organized the election-results party.

"We did not expect this great of a turnout," she said. "We are probably going to run out of seats, but I'm so excited to see this many people out here caring."

While Thorburn wouldn't say how she voted, she did say that Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, who visited Sackville, stood out.

"Coming to such a small community in New Brunswick, especially me being from Ottawa, I was not expecting a federal leader to come here and I got to meet them — that was just crazy."

Connor Cyr and Jacqueline Brun, who are third-year students at Mount Allison, both voted for the Green Party.

Cyr said he didn't expect the Green Party or the NDP to make "significant strides" in this election, but he does think the dual-party system is changing.

"I think we're finally starting to see some ridings shift more towards the NDP or Green [Party] than we've previously seen in other elections."

Brun and Cyr believe it's young people like them, concerned about climate change, who are driving that change.

"I just think the other parties' lack of commitment to an environmental plan … it's just not OK for where we're at in 2019," Cyr said.

"This is the first federal election for a lot of people our age, and I think it'll just only grow from here."

'I think change is coming'

Matt Scholbel and Noah Widmeyer, who also list climate change among their top issues, chose to vote NDP on Monday.

Scholbel said this was his first election, and he isn't surprised the NDP and Green Party didn't make bigger gains.

"I feel like it's always a big toss-up between Liberal and Conservative and it is a bummer … but I'll know that I made my difference by putting a vote where I felt I identified the most," he said.

"I do think things are going to change down the road because I do see a lot of people with different mindsets than my parents."

Widmeyer hopes the "binary system" is finally coming to an end.

"I think people are starting to go to the third party or even the fourth party, and they're looking for new fresh ideas and maybe some young faces as well."

Widmeyer said he is a "huge Jagmeet Singh fan," and he loved the presence of the NDP leader on social media during the campaign.

"I am a little discouraged because I think a lot of people, young and old, maybe resorted back to strategically voting and not really voting for who they believed in most."

Students want a minority government

Thorburn and Olivia Corrigan, a third-year student from Prince Edward Island, see a minority government as the best outcome of the election.

"I think third parties need representation," Thorburn said.

Corrigan, who describes herself as "a huge advocate for electoral reform," said she knows of many people who don't vote at all.

"If they vote for a party other than Liberal or Conservative they feel like their vote may just be a throwaway, and I feel like that's a real problem," she said.

Sholbel, who wants to become a writer, said he refuses to be discouraged.

"I think change is coming and I'm really excited to see what happens," he said.