Their ballots didn't count in the official election, but more than 20,000 students across Manitoba voted to give the Progressive Conservatives under leader Brian Pallister a majority government anyway.

It was part of a project called the Student Vote program, designed to encourage young people to take an active role in the democratic process.

Student voters who took part gave the Tories 30 seats and 35.4 per cent of the vote.

Pallister won his seat in Fort Whyte with 55.2 per cent of the vote. He was the only party leader to win his seat.

NDP Leader Greg Selinger was defeated in St. Boniface, while the party won 14 seats and will form the Student Vote official opposition, with 27.3 per cent of the popular vote.

The Manitoba Liberals won 11 seats with 23.8 per cent of the vote, but leader Rana Bokhari was shut out in Fort Rouge.

Students also gave the Green Party two seats and 9.6 per cent of the vote, but leader James Beddome did not win one of them, losing in Fort Garry-Riverview.

In a news release, CIVIX applauded the teachers who led the project.

"This impressive Student Vote participation is a reflection of the incredible effort put forth by Manitoba educators to ensure that students build the habits of active and informed citizenship at an early age," said Taylor Gunn, CIVIX's president and chief election officer.

Students in 287 schools in Manitoba's 57 electoral divisions took part Monday, with a total of 21,159 ballots being cast by 4 p.m. Tuesday.

CIVIX, the national civic education charity that runs the Student Vote program, said 20,100 votes were valid, 801 were rejected and 258 ballots were declined.

The results were under embargo until the real polls closed at 8 p.m. Central.