Will these high school students vote strategically? Their ballot is the Student Vote

Elise Stolte · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 23, 2025 7:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

Roughly 800,000 Canadian students are expected to ballot this week successful a parallel predetermination for their section candidates.

That includes students astatine 275 schools successful Calgary, and much than 1,250 schools successful Alberta.

It's a monolithic effort that often mirrors the results of the wide election, and supports a governmental statement wrong the classroom. The students are voting this week, with results compiled and past released for examination aft the polls adjacent connected predetermination day.

"We find that students thin to ballot little strategically than their parents, and much with their hearts," said Lindsay Mazzucco, enforcement manager of Civix, which organizes Student Vote.

"We person recovered that … students thin to elite the aforesaid governing enactment arsenic the wide population. But wherever you spot immoderate differences is benignant of the constitution of Parliament. You'll spot possibly much enactment for the Green Party and the NDP compared to the wide population." 

Mazzucco co-founded Student Vote with her past fellow successful 2003 erstwhile some were young adults surviving successful their parents' basements. The programme supports students from Grade 4 done Grade 12 to larn astir the process, policies and candidates. Then they tally the polling stations themselves to larn the process.

"A large portion of the programme is that students spell location with their newfound knowledge," she said. "So it truly becomes a household affair.… The programme is designed to bring ideology to life."

CBC Calgary met with societal studies classes astatine William Aberhart and Central Memorial precocious schools successful the days starring up to the vote. We answered questions astir the relation of journalism during an election, past invited the students to stock what's shaping their vote. 

Owen MacKenzie

Owen MacKenzie is simply a Grade 11 pupil astatine William Aberhart High School who said he's deciding his ballot based connected clime alteration and planetary relations.

"I consciousness similar successful the past fewer months, the satellite bid has truly been flipped upside down. I deliberation we request a person who tin beryllium beardown to code that successful a bully way," helium said. 

"I truly liked the mode [Liberal Leader Mark] Carney, erstwhile helium was archetypal elected, helium went close to Europe and helium truly shored up our alliances with [French President Emmanuel] Macron and with [U.K. Prime Minister Keir] Starmer."

"He just, close away, made definite of our alliances," MacKenzie said. "He truly shored those up and assured that the antiauthoritarian satellite bid would enactment benignant of a corporate and enactment unneurotic arsenic 1 confederation aboriginal arsenic Trump is trying to isolate everyone."

MacKenzie is the lad of a physio and an diversion therapist. He's hoping to spell into instrumentality oregon business. In the days starring up to this election, helium said helium is leaning toward voting Liberal due to the fact that of Carney's grounds connected planetary relations, and due to the fact that the NDP has little accidental of winning successful this riding.

Greg Roney

For Greg Roney, a Grade 12 pupil astatine William Aberhart, the cardinal issues are affordability and the extortion of spiritual state for individuals. He's disquieted astir the rules successful Quebec that bounds spiritual expression.

"It puts my spiritual values astatine stake; if that's allowed successful Quebec, past what's limiting it from spreading to the remainder of Canada? But besides for the radical successful Quebec that are being affected by those limitations, I deliberation it's truly unsafe for them. They aren't allowed to explicit their beliefs."

He'd similar to perceive the enactment leaders code that. He said he's besides acrophobic astir affordability, particularly the terms of houses and groceries.

"It's going to beryllium worrisome for starting retired successful a caller job, getting a beauteous basal wage and not being capable to bargain a batch of these commodities that we're besides utilized to," helium said. 

And arsenic for however each this volition determine his vote, helium said: "I consciousness similar some of the main parties, Liberals and Conservatives, person immoderate strengths this election. Carney seems similar he's beauteous omniscient successful economics, and [Conservative Leader Pierre] Poilievre seems similar helium would beryllium capable to grip the tariffs and worldly similar that a spot much strongly."

"Overall, I'd thin much toward the Conservative Party for conscionable information and I conjecture conscionable values person to mine."

Mira Lazorek

For Central Memorial High School pupil Mira Lazorek, acquisition is apical of mind. 

She's frustrated aft having a class with 50 kids and precise small one-on-one clip with teachers. Education is chiefly a provincial responsibility, but Lazorek said she wishes determination was much the national authorities would bash with enactment oregon funding. 

But that hasn't been addressed during the campaign. So instead, she's looking astatine different issues and the property of enactment leaders to determine her vote. 

"Seeing similarities betwixt Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and immoderate different blimpish leaders successful the satellite close now, I don't deliberation that that's the absorption that I privation our state to go," she said. 

"Carney is much affirmative astir everything. I don't similar it erstwhile politicians onslaught each different arsenic a run strategy. I similar erstwhile they statement respectfully, and I consciousness similar Mark Carney brings a batch much of that."

Isaiah Laprise

William Aberhart pupil Isaiah Laprise said the large contented connected his caput is the extortion of rights for trans radical and immigrants due to the fact that of what he's seen successful the United States.

"It conscionable scares maine due to the fact that there's our closest state and that could perchance hap here. They're deporting radical who person visas and really who unrecorded successful the United States, who didn't travel determination illegally."

But what's encouraging is seeing pushback and reassurance from parties connected some sides of the governmental spectrum here, helium said.  

"That makes maine gladsome for the future."

As for his vote: "I'm much leaning toward the NDP but I won't ballot for them, astir likely, due to the fact that the Liberals person a amended changeable astatine winning. Even though I hold with the NDP's values more, I'll astir apt ballot for the Liberal Party."

Chanbin Im

Chanbin Im is simply a Grade 12 pupil astatine William Aberhart who said helium wishes determination was much practice from the smaller parties truthful voters could beryllium exposed to a greater assortment of ideas. 

His biggest predetermination contented is the tariffs and however that volition impact the economy.

As for voting, "most apt that volition beryllium for the Conservatives," helium said. "I saw the Conservatives are readying connected reducing the taxes imposed connected the [business] enterprises."

"This would truly payment and supply information for the enterprises during the process of the planetary [tariff] discussions with Mexico and the United States pursuing the election."

Marcus Gentile

Marcus Gentile is an undecided elector astatine Central Memorial. He's successful Grade 11 and his cardinal contented is the economy. 

"We request to look much astatine what we tin bash to assistance little the ostentation complaint and the unemployment complaint arsenic well," helium said.

"What Carney has done, ending the c tax, has truly helped with state prices and with the lipid and state industry.… The tariff menace has really been a large thing. Especially successful this province, successful Western Canada, it truly does impact america due to the fact that our large manufacture is lipid and gas."

But arsenic for deciding his vote, he's not definite yet.

"It's beauteous overmuch 2 parties now. It's the lesser of 2 evils. Let's spot what happens."