On the eve of the provincial election, kids from General Vanier Public School joined schools across Ontario in the Students Vote mock election.
“Everything looks very similar to the real thing,” said principal Gary King.
“The whole idea is to get kids to understand the process, give them a taste of politics while they’re young, so that they know what they’re getting in for when they become eligible voters,” he added.
According to King, 55 students cast their vote Wednesday morning; nearly 100 per cent of the student body, minus absent students.
The children were encouraged to talk to their parents, and do some research to find the candidate who best suits their interest, which led grade 8 student Brody Armstrong to cast his vote for Libertarian candidate Adam Hyde.
Asked who they think will come out on top though, Kristen Piper and Kayla Brydges, both in Grade 8, believe incumbent Kim Craitor will hold on for the win.
Ballots from different schools across Ontario will be collected and totalled, with the results to be released shortly after the proper election.
“This is the first year we’ve ever tried something like this and it was a real success,” said King.
“It’s a really straight forward and easy little event to put together, so it’s definitely something I would like to continue doing for future elections.”