On-campus voting returns to Manitoba universities

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Advance voting stations are returning to Manitoba campuses for the first time since 2019, in a move some hope will encourage more young Canadians to cast ballots.

Polling stations at the University of Manitoba, University of Winnipeg, Red River College Polytechnic’s Notre Dame campus and the The Pas campus of the University College of the North will be open from Sunday to Wednesday.

The schools did not offer advance voting during the 2021 federal election, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Elections Canada said.

Voting on participating campuses is open to all. Students can do so using a valid ID that lists the address of their home, or the place where they live while attending school.

“I’m enthused,” University of Winnipeg student Sage Toews said Friday. “Unfortunately for students, there’s an election right in the midst of exam time. I think the best way to do it is just have it accessible and have it here.”

Toews, 19, studies political science, but said some of her less politically inclined peers have been paying attention to the campaign.

“This is an important one. People I’ve never talked to about politics before are getting into it,” she said. “(Voting) is the least you can do as a citizen living in a democracy.”

Clyde Larocque, who studies history, said he has not yet decided whether he will cast a ballot, although he has voted in previous elections.

“I feel like this past year has been a very eye-opening experience at the state of Canadian politics,” said Larocque, 28. “I don’t think any party has made any commitments that I want to see, personally.”

Canadians between 18 and 24 accounted for the largest increase among all age demographics during the 2015 election, marking a peak in turnout for young voters.

Elections Canada said the turnout in the 2015 federal election exceeded that of 2011 by more than a half-million votes.

Those numbers slumped in the two following elections — 2019 and 2021 — with the number of young voters falling at a rate greater than the overall turnout.

Elections Canada data shows 46 per cent of young voters cast a ballot in 2021, down from 53 per cent in 2019.

Data from Statistics Canada shows, for the first time in decades, millennials and generation Z have become the electoral majority, strengthening their voting power, said Amanda Munday, executive director of New Majority.

“Young people can decide the outcome of elections and the future of this country, so we have an opportunity that wasn’t true in past elections,” said Munday, whose non-partisan group seeks to bolster youth voter turnout.

“Even if your candidate doesn’t win, you can show up, use your voices and have politicians see those numbers and make sure all of their policies, their platforms, are speaking to young people.”

Many young voters are disengaged or disenchanted by voting because they feel politicians do not represent them, Munday said.

Toews agreed.

“There is a great amount of political apathy, particularly amongst young people. I think you can have a feeling sometimes that your vote doesn’t count,” she said.

Finding the time to vote amid busy school and work schedules is another deterrent, said Larocque.

Munday said she is “incredibly optimistic” turnout among young Canadians will rise again this year, in part because of on-campus voting.

About 120 campuses are hosting advance polling stations, Elections Canada said.

On-campus voting is conducted via special ballots, which do not have a list of candidates to choose from. Instead, voters must write the name of their preferred candidate.

Threats of annexation, uncertainty over tariffs and the U.S. administration, led by President Donald Trump, have captured the attention of voters across all demographics and will also likely result in more engagement, Munday said.

“We know that there is an increased awareness around democracy, around civic engagement and voting,” Munday said.

Some of that is driven by social media — a tool some political groups leverage to get their messages across, said Christopher Adams, adjunct professor of political studies at the University of Manitoba.

Online content can provide access to younger voters (a demographic historically difficult to reach) because they do not rely on traditional media.

The Conservative party has been effective in utilizing social media to reach potential voters, and the Liberal party is following suit, Adams said.

“One has to wonder, is there a bias among young adults towards any particular party?” Adams said, warning voters to be wary of misinformation and falling into online echo chambers.

“With the algorithms… you will see postings that reinforce your views,” he said.

The federal election is April 28.

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca

Tyler Searle
Reporter

Tyler Searle is a multimedia producer who writes for the Free Press’s city desk. A graduate of Red River College Polytechnic’s creative communications program, he wrote for the Stonewall Teulon Tribune, Selkirk Record and Express Weekly News before joining the paper in 2022. Read more about Tyler.

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