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Lakehead, Georgian team up to encourage students to vote

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In Governance
May 21st, 2015
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By Andrew Philips Orillia Packet & Times

Ian McRae wants to get the vote out.

The Lakehead University education student is part of a group trying to stem what they see as a disturbing trend of historically low voter turnout among young voters during provincial and federal elections.

With a federal election looming, McRae and the group, comprised of representatives from each of the four political parties along with the Georgian College Student Administrative Council and Fair Vote Simcoe County, have been working to develop strategies for increasing voter participation.

“What I’m most proud of with this initiative is that everyone’s working together,” said McRae, who is also vice-president of the Lakehead University Student Union at the Orillia campus.

“We’re hoping to get (student) input and learn how to motivate their peers to get politically active.”

McRae said the group hopes its initiatives will spur greater interest in the electoral process and help students understand their voices can be heard and they can make a difference.

Besides McRae, the group includes Conservative Simcoe North MP Bruce Stanton, Liberal representative Fred Larsen, Alec Adams, of the Green Party, Ken Szijarto, representing the NDP, Duncan Ruttle, from Georgian, and Fair Vote Simcoe County’s Peter Kizoff.

“You’ll find young people will say they don’t vote (because) they don’t feel they know enough to make a decision,” McRae said.

“But it’s very important to get more young people involved. We also want to start a public conversation about the importance of voting.”

Currently, the organization is holding a poster-design contest that’s open to all high-school and post-secondary students in Simcoe North. Entries can be dropped off at school principal offices, at the student unions of Georgian and Lakehead or by emailing to vporillia@lusu.ca.

The contest, which closes June 22, features a $200 grand prize in both the high-school and post-secondary categories, along with $100 secondary prizes.

“We also have other initiatives in the works,” McRae said. “We want to ensure everyone’s voice is heard.”

Statistics Canada seems to back up the group’s assertion. The federal agency determined participation varied widely by age group in the last federal election.

“In 2011, the turnout rate was about 50% among people age 18 to 24 and was only a few percentage points higher among 25- to 34-year-olds,” Statistic Canada reported.

“People age 35 to 44 had participation rates just below the national average (about 61%). In contrast, older people were more likely to vote, with turnout rates increasing from 70% among 45- to 54-year-olds to a peak of 82% among those age 65 to 74.”

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