{"id":973,"date":"2019-10-21T16:27:32","date_gmt":"2019-10-21T16:27:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/studentvote.ca\/canada\/?p=973"},"modified":"2019-10-24T16:27:39","modified_gmt":"2019-10-24T16:27:39","slug":"cbc-kids-news-kids-across-the-country-take-part-in-mock-vote","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/studentvote.ca\/canada\/cbc-kids-news-kids-across-the-country-take-part-in-mock-vote\/","title":{"rendered":"[CBC Kids News] Kids across the country take part in mock vote"},"content":{"rendered":"

READ ARTICLE HERE: https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/kidsnews\/post\/kids-across-the-country-take-part-in-mock-vote<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

When Nicole Miller discovered some of her closest friends didn\u2019t care about the federal election, she wanted to help them understand why it\u2019s important.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve asked a lot of kids in the hallways and most of them are like no, they\u2019re not interested in voting because they think there are no good options or they think they don\u2019t know any of the options and it feels very overwhelming for them,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

At 17, Nicole isn\u2019t even old enough to vote, but she believes it\u2019s important to start getting informed at a young age.<\/p>\n

That’s one of the reasons why she participated in Student Vote Canada 2019, a parallel election for kids under the voting age that coincides with the federal election.<\/p>\n

Organized by Elections Canada and CIVIX, the learning program, now in its sixth year, provides elementary and high school students the opportunity to experience the voting process firsthand.<\/p>\n

CIVIX is a non-partisan, national charity that\u2019s dedicated to \u201cbuilding the skills and habits of engaged citizenship among young Canadians.\u201d<\/p>\n

More than a million students in 9,500 schools participate in Student Vote, where they learn about government and the electoral process, engage in the campaign and cast ballots for the official local candidates.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are all the next generation of future voters,\u201d Nicole said. \u201cIt matters that … they have a say.\u201d<\/p>\n

As part of the program, Nicole organized a mock debate at her school.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think a mock debate can really help kids understand the issues on a more relatable level,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a lot easier to listen to your classmates talk about these issues, and either agree or disagree,\u201d Nicole said.<\/p>\n

Education and the economy are some of the issues important to students at her school, but climate change is at the top.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am pro oil sands, which is a fairly controversial opinion for many students and people, especially in Alberta,\u201d Nicole said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not saying climate change doesn\u2019t exist, because it does. We should look at long-term solutions,” she said.<\/p>\n

“If we shut down the oil sands and the world is saved … the need for fossil fuels is still going to be there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fellow student Toby Duska feels differently.<\/p>\n

He believes there isn\u2019t time to slowly switch to greener energy.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s safer to take more dramatic action now because honestly, who knows how global temperatures are going to affect everything?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Strong opinions like Toby\u2019s inspired Nicole to encourage other students to have their voice heard through voting.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we can help them get informed and help make the voting process easier, then it\u2019s really worth it because it\u2019s their choices and their decisions and votes that will be impacting the future.\u201d<\/p>\n