OPEN LETTER TO ELECTIONS CANADA

Vote On Campus program

June 29, 2021

Stéphane Perrault

Chief Electoral Officer

Elections Canada

Dear Mr. Stéphane Perrault,

On behalf of Apathy is Boring, the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA), CESAX, the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS), The Democratic Engagement Exchange, and Future Majority, we are writing to request that Elections Canada continue its Vote On Campus program when the 44th General Election is called. With public health concerns diminishing and campuses across Canada planning a return to on-campus activities this fall, it is important that this initiative continue to offer students an opportunity to vote their riding of residence even if they are temporarily living elsewhere.

In the 2019 federal election, on-campus voting provided a valuable service to over 110,000 voters and as awareness of this program grows, we anticipate demand will also increase. For example, at Ryerson University, on-campus voting in 2019 increased by 55% compared to the 2015 federal election. The aim for this project is to offer additional options for registering and voting in locations that may be more accessible to youth electors. Offices were opened in 39 post-secondary campuses across the country in 2015 and expanded to 109 post-secondary campuses in 2019 due to the success of the pilot project. Those visiting the offices were able to register and vote by special ballot on site.

Most students do not need to be convinced that voting was important, they already know it. For most Canadians, voting is easy and Elections Canada’s on-campus polling locations further reduced the unique barriers that students face. These barriers that they face are not their age or unwillingness to vote, it's that they may not reside in the city they vote in.

Simply put, student barriers to voting is not their behavior, it's their circumstance.

Cancelling the Vote on Campus Project for the likely 2021 federal election will reduce access to voting for students who already face unique barriers to voting.

Finally, we believe this program would enhance Elections Canada’s ability to conduct an election in compliance with public health guidelines under current legislative authority. One of the most effective tools to meet public health guidelines is to reduce crowding and line ups at polling locations. By offering students (and all community members) an option to vote ahead of election day, it provides another opportunity to vote and reduce wait times at advance and election day voting locations.