Alistair King, a social studies teacher at Dover Bay Secondary School, conducts a lesson on voting and the 2019 Federal Election. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Alex Rawnsley

THE NEXT GENERATION

Lessons, debates and mock elections aim to energize youth vote

Oct 7, 2019 | 6:04 AM

NANAIMO — Students are getting ready to have their voice heard as the 2019 Federal Election enters the last two weeks of campaigning.

Nearly 40 elementary and secondary schools in the Nanaimo-Ladysmith riding are registered with Students Votes, a non-profit program bringing the election and campaign issues into the classroom.

Dover Bay Secondary social studies teacher Alistair King told NanaimoNewsNOW the ability to take a relatively theoretical topic for youth and turn it into a practical lesson is invaluable.

“Using current events is a great way to do that, get them to conduct their own election, watch the results come in and then compare with the results in the real election.”

Students at Dover Bay mirrored the spring 2019 by-election and were aligned with many of the results for the 2018 municipal vote.

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“When the results came down and Paul Manly was the winner in the by-election, the students were so enthusiastic and felt they had predicted it,” King said.

Across Canada, participation among first time voters rose 17.7 per cent in 2015, compared to 2011. Voters aged 18 to 24 also saw a 18.3 per cent spike.

Grade 12 Dover Bay student Malanya Gaudet said the mock election encourages students her age and younger to do their research on the names they see on election signs.

“We have to set the example for people younger and older than us, saying we might be young but our opinions matter.”

Lessons having real-world parallels hits home for many students.

“I wasn’t really that eager to participate in any elections or vote for anyone, but now I realize the importance of it and the importance of being educated as a voter,” Grade 10 Dover Bay student Ella Watson said.

The school will hold an all-candidates debate on Wednesday, Oct. 16 with seven of the nine candidates confirmed.

Climate change is expected to be a main topic, as well as gun control and lowering the voting age.

The debate kicks off the mock election, with students casting ballots shortly after.

“It’s a bit different than with the adults who might go to a debate then weeks later go to the polls,” King said. “The kids get direct democracy, if they like what they hear from the candidate at 10:30 a.m., by 11:30 a.m. they can cast their ballot.”

King said he hopes lessons learned in the classroom will filter out into the wider world.

“When the kids are engaged in the classroom, they go home and talk to their parents and ideas are exchanged. It’s great that the kids can come to class and have their own opinion on politics.”

King said if youth participate in mock votes in school, or cast a ballot at their first opportunity after turning 18, they are much more likely to become life-long voters as adults.

alex.rawnsley@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alexrawnsley