Anayah Bhutta may be too young to cast a ballot in the upcoming municipal election, but the Grade 7 student is not too young to care about local issues. “I feel like it’s very important for people’s future,” Bhutta said. Bhutta and her classmates at Courtland Avenue Public School in Kitchener are among nearly 150,000 students across Ontario taking part in Student Vote this week. It’s a simulated municipal election organized by CIVIX. “I think it was a really good process to get younger kids more familiar with how to vote when they grow up,” Bhutta said. More than 2,100 schools across 266 municipalities are participating, marking the largest turnout in the program’s history. Students researched real local candidates and debated municipal issues before marking their ballots for city council. “What I would choose for [who] I would want to vote for is someone that would spend money on safety and education,” Bhutta said. For Grade 7 student Emilee Martin, key infrastructure priorities guided her vote. “I’m mostly worried about the roads, especially because potholes can redirect your car,” Martin said. “So I mostly chose somebody who would focus on the roads or people’s safety.” Teacher Kaitlyn Chorowiec said Student Vote fit right into the curriculum. “It ties into history, language, and geography,” Chorowiec said. “Students are using their research skills and language skills to write down important information, and we’re also looking at historic elections.” To get the full experience, students ran the polling station themselves, taking on various roles. “I mean, it was boring, but I helped,” said Grade 7 student Jaye Kerr who would stamp ballots before they went into the box. Students said the lesson in civic engagement is worth it. “I feel like we should all have a voice,” Martin said. “Everybody can choose who they want.” Before long, the students will be casting real ballots of their own. “It’s important to learn because one day you’re going to be a teenager, the next you’re going to be an adult,” Kerr said. Official results from the province-wide Student Vote will be released after municipal polls close on Monday night at 8 p.m.
