What is Voters in Training ?

Voters in Training is a non-partisan, non-profit, citizenship education program, which aims at introducing young people to democratic practices and to how our democratic institutions work. The project consists in organizing enjoyable educational activities, including a mock election, in schools and youth centers during an actual electoral campaign (for federal, provincial, municipal, or school board elections). It is a unique and innovative way of discovering democracy and exercising one’s citizenship!

This program is offered, free of charge, throughout Quebec, both in English and in French (under the name Électeurs en herbe). It is aimed specifically at young people between 12 and 17 years of age, but could be experimentally conducted with children from the 3rd cycle of grade school.
 


Procedure



THE PRE-CAMPAIGN PERIOD

The teachers, counselors, or supervisors register their institution (school, youth center, youth organization) by filling the on-line form. Following the launch of a campaign, the registered participants will receive a educational guide, an activity book, and - in a later shipment – the material required to organize a mock election (ballot boxes, ballots, polling booths, instructions manual).

THE CAMPAIGN PERIOD

During the electoral campaign, young people are encouraged to follow the campaign through a series of enjoyable, educational activities supplied by Voters in Training. The program offers a five step approach retracing the process through which every elector becomes an aware, informed, critically minded, involved and active citizen. In each school, the activities can be conducted in a class, for a cycle, or for the whole school; the activities can be integrated into History, Citizenship Education, English or French as a second language classes. For youth organizations, the activities should be carried out as workshops.

Through the activities, the participants will learn about electoral issues and familiarize themselves with our political system, the media, as well as political parties’ programs and candidates for their area. Young people can voice their concerns, get acquainted with various news sources, participate to debates, meet the candidates, write a letter of opinion, conduct a survey, etc.

Note that activity selection is left at the teachers or counselors discretion. However, organizing the mock elections is essential to the project’s success. Moreover, thanks to the support from Youth Forums in every region of Quebec, Voters in Training is available throughout the campaign to answer participants’ queries and even to organize media events likes debates, meetings with candidates, discussion forums or the mock election (depending on the number of demands received and allotted resources).

THE MOCK ELECTION

Voting takes place during the week preceding the official election day, and should be organized by young people with the support of a teacher, a counselor, a student body council, etc. In schools, all of the school’s students, of a grade or of a classroom are called upon to cast their vote. The institution decides the voting method: voting can take place in the classrooms or in public areas; it can take place during class times or over lunch break. Voting could even take place over more than one day.

The voters in training vote for the candidates of the electoral riding in which the school is located. Thousands of students will do the same in other schools throughout Quebec. The results of the mock election should be forwarded to Voters in Training to be compiled and published on the Internet and in the media.
 





















 
Program Objectives

The Voters In Training project is a stimulating and rewarding educational activity that stimulates young people’s awareness. It is a unique opportunity to interest young people to current events and politics, to focus on the history of our political and democratic institutions and to develop their civic competences. The project aims at:

• Familiarize youth with our electoral process and our political institutions as well as raise their awareness about the role played by all citizens in our democracy. • Offering an experience of electoral practices through a mock polling. • Interesting young people in current events and politics as well as having a positive influence on their future citizen and electoral involvement. • Allowing students to structure their opinions, to sharpen their critical thinking, to participate in public debates and to increase their civic competences.

Citizenship education and mock elections at a young age are great means of making young people conscious of the importance of the right to vote, while teaching them how our institutions work and our democratic values. Carrying out such an initiative is relevant to the situation observed nowadays, given the low voter outcome observed in young adults.


 



Historical review

Voters in Training achieved notable success during the 2001 and 2005 municipal elections and the 2004 and 2006 federal elections. Overall, some 175 high schools and youth centers participated in the project and more than 45,000 young people have exercised their “right to vote” in these previous instances.

The project was warmly welcomed by teachers and counselors and highly appreciated by young people wherever it was carried out. On the one hand, the project meets the schools’ need to integrate citizenship education to their curriculum; on the other hand, it could help change young people’s perception of politics and thus counter their disengagement. It has been demonstrated by American experiences that such projects sharpens students’ critical thinking, increases their knowledge about issues and has a positive impact on their future citizen and electoral participation