Kitchener students cast ballots in mock Ontario election to learn about importance of voting

Sima Hama has never been inside a polling station before, but on Tuesday, her classroom was one.

Hama is a Grade 8 student at Westheights Public School in Kitchener, Ont.,and she and her classmates hosted the polling station for the Student Vote mock election activity.

"The biggest thing I learned was making an informed vote based on my concerns and my own values," Hama said, calling the experience both exciting and nerve wracking.

Student Vote is run by Elections Ontario and CIVIX, a non-partisan registered charity that wants to teach students about democracy.

More than 2,400 elementary and secondary schools across the province signed up to take part in Student Vote during the Ontario Election. As part of the project,ballot boxes and elector screens are sent to schools, along with ballots of local candidates in the riding where the school is located.

Hama said as she cast her own ballot for the first time, she thought about two issues: Global warming "because it impacts my future a lot" and education "because that's also a big part of my life."

Classmate Chelsea Edwards said she read the party websites and looked at issues that affect her.

"I've learned what different parties are doing to help Ontario and what important things matter to them," she said.

Edwards said she went with her family when they voted when she was younger, but she doesn't remember the experience.

"It kind of gives me an idea of how it actually is," she said, adding she's "definitely more confident" about the process now.

"I think my favourite part is probably putting the ballot in the box," she said.

Students cast ballots across Ontario

Teacher Ryan Wettlaufer led the project at Westheights and this was the third time the school has taken part in Student Vote.

"Some of the things that we hope that [the students] take away are sort of a demystification of the voting process, an understanding of what they need to do to vote and the responsibility that they have to vote," he said.

He said the students ask many questions, often about parties they're less familiar with, and also talk about the issues, with themes emerging like education and the environment, but also health care and transit.

Student Vote doesn't release the results of the mock elections until after the official polls for the Ontario election close, which will be Thursday at 9 p.m.

Wettlaufer says it's exciting to compare the official results with how students voted and compare them to other schools across the province.

The learning continues, he said, because after the results are in, his classwill look at the numbers, compare them and discuss the differences.

'You have a voice'

Ben Dryland, who also helped run the polling station,says the process taught him that everyone has a voice and a say in the future.

But he didn't really talk to family and friends about the issues and he says he doesn't plan to sit up Thursday night to watch the results of the Ontario election.

"I don't really like to pay attention to that stuff. I'm going to cherish my childhood while I still have it," he said.

"But as I get older, I think I will start to focus more on how I'll need to make those decisions."

Hama says she thinks people who have the opportunity to vote should take advantage of that.

"You have a voice and don't be afraid to use it because we have the privilege to be able to vote and we should take advantage of it since it's like, very important because we're choosing the future," Hama said.