Mock election makes future voters think seriously about racism, housing issues

It'll be years before their ballots really count, but a mock election for young students across Nova Scotia is getting future voters thinking seriously about the issues in their communities.

When the polls close tonight at 7 p.m., registered voters in 46 of 49 municipalities, counties and towns will have had their say in the province's municipal elections.

While those votes are being counted, the results of a mock election involving more than 10,000 students who cast ballots Thursday and Friday will be released.

"It was great to learn along with the students," said Stacey Bond, a Grade 6 teacher at Georges P. Vanier Junior High School in Fall River. 

Her students took part in the student vote organized by Civix, a non-partisan national charity. The program involved students from 145 schools in 31 municipalities, including the Halifax region, the Cape Breton Regional Municipality and Kings County.

"We all had questions, so it was nice to talk to each other," said Bond.

Bond said the students were knowledgeable about the difference between municipal, provincial and federal governments.

One of Bond's students, Laura Hill, said watching videos of the candidates helped her decide which way to vote.

"We watched what people running for mayor would do about housing and racism in the police," said Hill. "The videos were helpful to decide who we think would do the best job."

Trenton MacLeod Wile, another Grade 6 student at Georges P. Vanier, said he's heard his parents discussing the election and was able to chime in with opinions of his own.

"I talked to my parents about the election on the day I voted," he said.