Mount Allison students won’t have access to advance polling stations on campus this year.
For the past three provincial elections, students attending post-secondary institutions in New Brunswick were provided the opportunity to vote at “additional polls” set up on campuses the week prior to Election Day.
In 2018, over 3400 students voted at 18 special campus polling stations. That number was up 19% compared to the 2014 election, possibly due to Elections NB’s marketing efforts and the hiring of a Youth Outreach Coordinator to connect with student unions in the province.
But for this snap election on September 14th, Elections NB says it doesn’t have the time or resources to make campus polling available at all.
The Mount Allison Students’ Union is expressing its disappointment in the decision, but says it is more concerned for students at other campuses where community polling stations may be farther afield.
A MASU statement says that “due to the size and layout of MtA and Sackville, voting stations off-campus will not be far from campus.”
The union says they hope to see just as much student turnout as in the 2018 election.
