News Releases and Media Advisories

Elections Canada and Student Vote
Partner to Engage Young Canadians

OTTAWA, Tuesday, April 5, 2011 — The Chief Electoral Officer of Canada, Marc Mayrand, and the Chief Election Officer of Student Vote, Taylor Gunn, announced today the launch of the student general election program.

Student Vote helps students learn about Canada's democracy. Elementary and secondary students across Canada will be immersed in the electoral process when they vote in parallel elections for candidates in their schools' electoral districts and take on the roles of election workers. Participating schools receive authentic election tools, such as ballot boxes, voting screens and riding maps. Teachers also receive educational resources, including curricula on Canada's political and electoral processes.

"Reaching out to the next generation of Canadian voters is critical to strengthening our democracy," said Mr. Mayrand. "Research shows that civic education is linked to increased political knowledge and intention to vote – two important predictors of voter turnout. The program builds on growing evidence that hands-on learning and the efforts of teachers and parents can have a significant impact on increasing the civic literacy of tomorrow's voters."

"This is our fourth parallel federal election, and the response from students, teachers and parents has been phenomenal," said Mr. Gunn. "More than 2,000 schools have already registered for the program – a record-breaking tally for the start of the campaign. It is a privilege to receive the support of Elections Canada, and our team looks forward to helping teachers make the best learning experience out of this election."

The Student Vote program is an example of the civic education initiatives offered by Elections Canada as part of its public education mandate.

To register for this free program, schools are invited to visit www.studentvote.ca or call 1-866-488-8775 (toll-free). Program registration closes on April 13, 2011.

Elections Canada is an independent body set up by Parliament.

Student Vote is a non-profit, non-partisan organization aimed at building the citizenship skills of young Canadians.

Information:
Elections Canada Media Relations
1-877-877-9515
or at www.elections.ca