Students vote in mock election to encourage engaged citizenship
High schools from across province are participating in a mock provincial election today as part of a voting program called Student Vote.
The mock vote uses the same style of election materials used in the real elections, including the ballot and ballot box.
The program is part of a partnership with Elections New Brunswick, a nonpartisan group called Civix and the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.
Civix is a registered charity which is charged with fostering engaged citizenship among young Canadians.
More than 200 New Brunswick schools, which encompass all 49 ridings, are registered to take part.
A spokesperson for Elections New Brunswick said thousands of students are likely to participate.
Susan Belliveau is coordinating the vote at Oromocto High School and said it's supposed to be as close to the real thing as possible.
"We do everything exactly like they would in the election," said Belliveau.
"It's a matter of giving your name and marking your check on the form."
Many of the students at the high school will turn 18 in the next year and will be able to vote in federal, provincial and municipal elections shortly.
She said this was an opportunity to show them that the decisions made by politicians affect them.
"When you get older you have a voice," she said in an interview with Information Morning Fredericton.
Policy issues
Just like all votes, high school students have concerns they want to see addressed.
Belliveau said the education department's nutritional policy, policy 711, was a big one.
Policy 711 specifically prohibits foods and beverages with "lower nutritional value" that contain few nutrients and are higher in saturated fats, sugar or salt from being sold at, or being given out by, the school.
But she said students also discussed emergency room wait times, double licence plates and selling beer in convenience stores.
"We only had two weeks to talk about it," she said.
She said teaching the students about civics takes time.
"That's what the election is about," she said.
"Choosing who you want to represent you."
The results
Students in Oromocto got to experience another hallmark of elections in New Brunswick, campaigning by local candidates.
Five candidates came to the school to talk to students.
"We didn't have enough time for question and answer at the end but it was awesome," she said.
In Oromocto students will vote in the cafeteria lobby where student volunteers will hand out ballots.
Voting will take place before school, at lunch and after school.
"We will know this evening what the vote is but we are sworn to secrecy until tomorrow," said Belliveau.
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