College voting stations pulled
Student unions at colleges across
Ontario are voicing their concern
with the way Elections Ontario is
handling the 2011 provincial election.
As a result of the provincewide
support staff strike, Elections
Ontario decided to pull all
advanced and Election Day polling
stations from all college campuses.
Elections Ontario originally acknowledged the need to make voting accessible for college students since low youth voter turnout rates are a significant concern in Canada; however, the recent strike led Elections Ontario to question whether or not they should cross picket lines. A few weeks ago, they came to the decision to remove their college campus presence completely.
The decision frustrated many college students unions because university campus polling stations have remained untouched, including the University of Western Ontario, which has also seen a strike in recent weeks.
The Fanshawe Student Union has been working closely with the College Student Alliance in an effort to get the stations back on campus, but representatives of Elections Ontario have told the CSA that their hands are tied.
FSU President Veronica Barahona is unimpressed with the actions of Elections Ontario. "For many college students living on campus, this will be their first time voting in a provincial election," said Barahona. "Students need to be given the opportunity to experience how easy it is to vote, and get in the habit of voting in every election."
Vice-President of Student Support Cathie Augier echoes Barahona's concerns about how this decision will affect student voting habits. "It is important to promote participation in elections by post-secondary students. We hope that in future elections we have the opportunity to host both advance and Election Day polls at Fanshawe College."
Last week, it was announced that colleges would have their advanced polling stations reinstated, but that none of the colleges would have their Election Day stations returned. "We are always hearing about low youth voter turnout, and I just don't understand why Elections Ontario would remove Election Day polls when they would prove to be very beneficial for students," said Barahona.
Student unions are now faced with the challenge of encouraging students to either vote in advanced polls or head to nearby off-campus Election Day stations. Some colleges are even trying to find ways of transporting students to voting stations, as many students don't have access to a car.
Both Fanshawe College and the FSU hope that, if not in this election, in future elections the needs of students will be recognized and accommodated.
For more information on how and where to vote, visit wemakevotingeasy.ca or contact Veronica Barahona directly at fsupres@fanshawec.ca.
Elections Ontario originally acknowledged the need to make voting accessible for college students since low youth voter turnout rates are a significant concern in Canada; however, the recent strike led Elections Ontario to question whether or not they should cross picket lines. A few weeks ago, they came to the decision to remove their college campus presence completely.
The decision frustrated many college students unions because university campus polling stations have remained untouched, including the University of Western Ontario, which has also seen a strike in recent weeks.
The Fanshawe Student Union has been working closely with the College Student Alliance in an effort to get the stations back on campus, but representatives of Elections Ontario have told the CSA that their hands are tied.
FSU President Veronica Barahona is unimpressed with the actions of Elections Ontario. "For many college students living on campus, this will be their first time voting in a provincial election," said Barahona. "Students need to be given the opportunity to experience how easy it is to vote, and get in the habit of voting in every election."
Vice-President of Student Support Cathie Augier echoes Barahona's concerns about how this decision will affect student voting habits. "It is important to promote participation in elections by post-secondary students. We hope that in future elections we have the opportunity to host both advance and Election Day polls at Fanshawe College."
Last week, it was announced that colleges would have their advanced polling stations reinstated, but that none of the colleges would have their Election Day stations returned. "We are always hearing about low youth voter turnout, and I just don't understand why Elections Ontario would remove Election Day polls when they would prove to be very beneficial for students," said Barahona.
Student unions are now faced with the challenge of encouraging students to either vote in advanced polls or head to nearby off-campus Election Day stations. Some colleges are even trying to find ways of transporting students to voting stations, as many students don't have access to a car.
Both Fanshawe College and the FSU hope that, if not in this election, in future elections the needs of students will be recognized and accommodated.
For more information on how and where to vote, visit wemakevotingeasy.ca or contact Veronica Barahona directly at fsupres@fanshawec.ca.
