ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – More than 7,000 students under the voting age cast ballots as part of Student Vote’s first ever provincial election program in Newfoundland and Labrador.
In the unofficial results, students elected a Progressive Conservative government and Liberal opposition. Polls returning late results could reverse the outcome of the opposition party since it is a close race between the Liberals and NDP.
A news release notes that after learning about the democratic process, researching the party platforms, hosting candidate town halls and debating the future of Newfoundland and Labrador, students cast their ballots for the official local candidates. As of 5:30 p.m. today, 7,269 votes were reported from 71 schools, representing 39 out of 48 electoral districts in the province.
“As voter turnout rates continue to decline across the country, we know that teachers are key to reversing this trend by making citizenship education a priority,” said Taylor Gunn, Student Vote’s Chief Election Officer. “Student Vote would like to thank its partners, the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Youth Retention and Attraction Strategy, for helping to bring this experiential learning program to students in Newfoundland and Labrador.”
Results also include:
The PC Party won 26 out of 39 seats and attracted 52 per cent of the popular vote.
The Liberals took 19 per cent of the popular vote and elected seven candidates.
Whereas, the NDP earned 29 per cent of the popular vote, but only five candidates were elected.
Students also elected one candidate without party affiliation, Dean Simon from St. George’s-Stephenville East.
The complete results can be found at: www.studentvote.ca
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