With the upcoming provincial election in B.C., everyone seems to be deciding who their vote is going to.
Students all over B.C. are also facing this dilemma, with Student Vote 2017 taking place as well. Student Vote is a run-by-the-students-for-the-students election that runs alongside the standard provincial election. Once again, Aldergrove Community Secondary School is participating, with the grade 10 students of the AVID program orchestrating the process.
Student Vote is not only an interesting insight on what it’s like to vote in an election, but it’s also educating the youth of our province on the importance of voting. This is becoming increasingly more important, with the voter turnout seeing a great decrease from years past.
In the 2013 provincial election, there was a voter turnout of merely 57.1 per cent, with only 47.9 per cent of registered voters ages 18-24 actually voting. This is substantially lower than the 74.2 per cent voter turnout of registered voters ages 65-74.
As it is the youth of our nation that will live with any long term policies or changes the elected government enforces, it is crucial that we educate them on the process and importance of voting to help equip them for their future in inheriting this nation from the generations before them.
Canada is a democracy, and it is our duty to maintain it. This is why we vote.
ACSS will hold their election on Monday, May 8.
-written by Rylee Steidle, a student in Grade 10 at Aldergrove Secondary School
