Campus polls allow university students to vote in home ridings
Elections Canada pilot project sees advance polls held at U of A and Grant MacEwan
For the first time, advance polls are being held on two Edmonton university campuses, triggering hope that more students will take the time to cast a ballot.
"It just saves some study time trying to find the voting station. It's here between classes, why not take advantage of it?" says Kendall Lacey, who is studying biology at Grant MacEwan University.
- Live Blog | Get breaking news from the campaign trail
- Advance polls considered crucial in close campaign
- Poll Tracker: Conservatives, Liberals trading lead in muddled polling race
As part of an Elections Canada pilot project, advance polls are being held at Grant MacEwan and the University of Alberta over three days.
The polls close Thursday at 8 p.m.
No matter where their home riding is, students can register and vote on campus for a candidate in their home riding.
The convenience has Katie Harrison predicting a better student turnout than in past years.
"For people who are 18 to 24 this will be the first time they vote," she said. "If they come out or not, that will make a huge impact on the way the election goes."
Dylan Halwell, student union vice president at the U of A, said students have many reasons to vote.
"Students aren't single-issue voters," he said. "Students care about social policy, economic policy, foreign policy.
"Often times people think that students lean far to the left or they only care about their own self interest with post-secondary education. Actually we see that students care about a multitude of different issues."
The polling stations at universities will be open to all voters, not just students.
Those who did not vote at advance polls can still cast a ballot on election day Oct. 19.