Undergrads come together for the federal election with #UofTVotes and #Voteposal

University of Toronto students will be casting their ballots on Oct. 19 for a wide range of reasons – and in a number of different ways.

 

“You can go between classes, you can go before dinner, you can go before breakfast – it’s really easy,” said Sahara Douglas, a third-year classical civilizations student, describing the ease of election day voting at U of T. (Find more voting information for Oct. 19 plus special ballot and advance polls below)

 

Douglas serves on the leadership team for CivicSpark, a pilot program developed by U of T students in partnership with CivicAction, and worked the last provincial election as part of Elections Ontario. She is one of the many undergraduate voters driving students to make their mark on Oct. 19. (Watch Douglas speak about voting in the video below)

 

Student-led groups such as CivicSpark, the University of Toronto Student Union (UTSU), the Association of Political Science Students and more collaborated on a wide range of events as part of Democracy Week at U of T, from Sept. 28 to Oct. 2. They called on fellow students to take part in the political process through voter information pop-ups, panel discussions, candidates’ debates and more. (Read more about Democracy Week)

“Young people should vote because they have the power to shape social and economic policies that will affect their future,” said Bushra Nassab, president of the Association of Political Science Students. “Every vote counts and every vote has the potential to make a difference.”

 

Nassab urged her fellow students to cast their ballots by putting it in global context.

 

“There are people in the world that are dying for the right to vote,” she said. “You have that privilege. Take advantage of it.”

 

Students’ enthusiasm over Democracy Week spun out into a social media campaign from UTSU, called #Voteposal – where engaged citizens invited others to vote with them on election day or in advance polls. The project riffs on a popular Internet trend called "promposals" where teens upload wacky and elaborate invitations to prom.

 

Students at U of T can make their voice heard in more ways than ever when it comes to the federal vote.

 

A good first step is for students to check whether they are registered to vote. To do that, visit the online voter registration service from Elections Canada. 

 

Any student can vote by special ballot at stations on the downtown campus from Monday Oct. 5 to Thursday Oct.  8.

 

Elections Canada says, “Anyone can use these offices, even if they are temporarily away from their riding (for example, an eligible voter who has moved to a new city to attend university or a student from a different campus).”

 

Graduate Student Union Gym and Records Room	16 Bancroft Avenue Toronto, ON  M5S 1C1	10:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.
University—Rosedale Returning Office	316 Bloor Street West Toronto, ON  M5S 1W5	10:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.
Wolfond Centre for Jewish Campus Life	36 Harbord Street Toronto, ON M5S 1G2	10:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.

Voting from Oct. 5 to 8. at these locations will be by special ballot, meaning voters must write down the first and last name of the candidate they wish to support – simply writing the party alone will result in the vote not being counted. Eligible votes will count in the riding where the voter's home address is located.

 

Voters will have to show identification including their home address on these types of documents. 

 

Students can vote from noon to 8:00 p.m. during advance polls, from Friday Oct. 9 to Monday Oct. 12. Find out where to cast your ballot in advance polls here. 

UTM students can also vote by special ballot at the Ridgeway office while UTSC students can vote by special ballot at the Scarborough – Rouge Park office.

For students who didn't want to vote alone, “voting trips” with student leaders were organized on Oct. 2 and Oct. 5 at the Ridgeway office and at Hart House. 

Students who live in residence will need to prove their address on campus with any document issued officially from U of T. Also, ask your residence administrator for a Letter of Confirmation of Residence to prove that you live there. 

 

On election day, Oct. 19, students who live on campus can vote in the same way as listed above for advance polls. Students who do not live on campus can vote in their home riding on election day. All students can find their electoral district and the location of the closest voting booth through this form. 

 

If voters know they will not be able to make it to their home riding on Oct. 19, anyone can vote from any Elections Canada office across the country before Oct. 13. Find the nearest Elections Canada office near you.