OTTAWA – On October 5, the first day campus polling stations open at 40 campuses across the country, Brigette DePape and other young activists will Storm the Dorm at university campuses to boost youth voter turnout.
Activists will gather on campuses with signs and information (including the Council of Canadians’ Youth Voter’s Guide) to promote advance voting. Students will have the opportunity to ask questions, verify their identification, and be directed to the polling stations. Those who prefer to wait until election day to vote will be asked to commit to voting by signing a pledge.
“Over 80% of young people want to see a change in government,” says Brigette DePape, the Council of Canadians Youth Vote Campaigner who first gained prominence in 2011 as the rogue page holding a ‘Stop Harper’ sign. “Our generation can make that change happen by voting.”
Events will be taking place at the following universities:
- Concordia University (Montreal)
- University of Toronto, Scarborough campus
- University of Toronto
- University of Manitoba (Winnipeg)
- Simon Fraser University, Vancouver campus
- Simon Fraser University, Burnaby campus
- University of Calgary
- McMaster University (Hamilton)
- Western University (London)
“Voting is an essential step to get the government you want,” adds DePape. “Despite the Harper government making it harder for us to vote, young people are going to be the game-changers nobody saw coming.”
These events are a partnership effort between the Council of Canadians, the Canadian Federation of Students, the Canadian Labour Congress, Unifor, the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition, and Check Your Head.
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