UASU Anticipates a Large Student Voter Turnout on May 5

News Staff - Thu Apr 09, 2015

Alberta’s university students are going to make a difference during the Alberta provincial election being held on May 5. Students from across the province are signing up in the “Get Out The Vote” campaigns being run at Alberta universities, and already over 5,000 students have signed up, with hundreds more each day pledging to vote.

Pledge to vote here.

“Despite a snap election call, we’ve found students are engaged and interested in the election,” said Navneet Khinda, VP External at the University of Alberta Students’ Union and chair of the Council of Alberta University Students (CAUS). “We are going to sign up thousands of students and make sure they turn out on Election Day.”

CAUS ran “Get Out The Vote” in 2012, signing up over 12,000 students in ridings across the province and reminding them on Election Day to turn out at the polls. This election the organization’s non-partisan campaign is expecting to do even better.

Over 100,000 students attend MacEwan University, Mount Royal University, the University of Alberta, the University of Calgary, and the University of Lethbridge—and together they will make a big difference in competitive races across Alberta. New changes to Alberta’s election laws will make it even easier for students to vote. Thanks to advocacy work by CAUS after the 2012 election, students will now be able to decide to vote in the riding where they study rather than being forced to vote where they lived prior to going to university.

“I would encourage any party or candidate to listen up to students if they want to win this election,” said Khinda. “We’re working hard to ensure students know about the election and we are going to make sure they get out to vote on May 5."

The Council of Alberta University Students (CAUS) represents the interests of students at MacEwan University, Mount Royal University, the University of Alberta, the University of Calgary, and the University of Lethbridge.

For more information please contact:

Simon Yackulic

External Communications and Media Advisor

University of Alberta Students' Union

1-780-492-4241

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