As adult British Columbians were voting in advance over the past week, close to 180,000 students were doing the same thing. And while their votes won’t count, they do paint a picture of what the province’s under-18s would like to see happen politically.
The final result, according to students, was a 44-seat BC NDP minority with 36.7 per cent of the popular vote. The Conservative Party of BC becomes the official opposition with 40 seats and 36.2 per cent of the popular vote. The BC Green Party took 19.2 per cent of the popular vote to win nine seats.
Locally, students elected Conservative in all three Prince George-area ridings.
Civix runs Student Vote BC, sending out ballots to elementary, middle and secondary schools across the province in conjunction with a program that helps kids understand the electoral process and the importance of voting. In many cases, candidates visit schools in their ridings as part of the program.
Student Vote BC had 177,961 votes from 1,034 schools as of 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, with results from all 93 electoral districts.
The tally included 172,003 valid votes and 5,958 rejected ballots.
Organizers say many close races were decided by fewer than 30 votes.
Party leaders David Eby (BC NDP), John Rustad (Conservative Party of BC) and Sonia Furstenau (BC Green Party) were re-elected by students.
In Prince George-Mackenzie, Kiel Giddens from the Conservative Party won with 55.12 per cent, totalling 522 votes.
Shar McCrory of the BC NDP received 20.38 per cent (193 votes), followed by James Steidle from the BC Green Party with 17.42 per cent (165 votes), and Rachael Weber with 7.07 per cent (67 votes).
In Prince George-North Cariboo, Sheldon Clare from the Conservative Party won with 33.96 per cent, totalling 360 votes.
Randy Thompson of the BC Green Party followed with 25.28 per cent (268 votes), while Coralee Oakes, an Independent candidate, formerly BC United, who was the riding’s incumbent, received 20.66 per cent (219 votes), and Denice Bardua from the BC NDP garnered 20.09 per cent (213 votes).
In Prince George-Valemount, Rosalyn Bird of the Conservative Party won with 44.86 per cent (441 total).
Gwen Johansson from the BC Green Party received 28.18 per cent (277 votes) while Clay Pountney of the BC NDP garnered 26.96 per cent (265 votes).
Student Vote BC shared the results from local schools, with the number of ballots requested followed by the number of ballots cast. Some schools had nobody vote.
Prince George-Mackenzie
- Beaverly Elementary: Ballots requested, 120; Vote count, 61
- Cedars Christian School: Ballots requested, 150; Vote count, 205
- D.P. Todd Secondary School: Ballots requested, 425; Vote count, 237
- EBUS Academy: Ballots requested, 1; Vote count, 0
- Ecole Lac des Bois Elementary: Ballots requested, 200; Vote count, 124
- Glenview Elementary: Ballots requested, 120; Vote count, 0
- Heather Park Elementary: Ballots requested, 150; Vote count, 150
- Mackenzie Secondary School: Ballots requested, 50; Vote count, 30
- Nusdeh Yoh: Ballots requested, 24; Vote count, 0
- Quinson Elementary: Ballots requested, 100; Vote count, 0
- Shas Ti Kelly Road Secondary: Ballots requested, 120; Vote count, 45
- Springwood Elementary School: Ballots requested, 116; Vote count, 95
Prince George-North Cariboo
- Barlow Creek Elementary: Ballots requested, 27; Vote count, 20
- Bouchie Lake Elementary School: Ballots requested, 60; Vote count, 23
- Cedars Christian School: Ballots requested, 150; Vote count, 0
- College Heights Secondary: Ballots requested, 200; Vote count, 53
- Correlieu Secondary School: Ballots requested, 250; Vote count, 0
- Dragon Lake Elementary: Ballots requested, 27; Vote count, 0
- EBUS Academy: Ballots requested, 2; Vote count, 0
- Horsefly Elementary/Junior Secondary: Ballots requested, 30; Vote v, 0
- Immaculate Conception School: Ballots requested, 125; Vote count, 134
- Lakeview Elementary: Ballots requested, 150; Vote count, 84
- Malaspina Elementary: Ballots requested, 150; Vote count, 124
- Nazko Valley Elementary: Ballots requested, 15; Vote count, 0
- North Cariboo Christian School: Ballots requested, 140; Vote count, 0
- Quesnel Junior School: Ballots requested, 480; Vote count, 355
- Red Bluff Elementary: Ballots requested, 190; Vote count, 111
- Riverview Elementary: Ballots requested, 120; Vote count, 34
- Vanway Elementary School: Ballots requested, 150; Vote count, 22
- Voyageur Elementary: Ballots requested, 120; Vote count, 88
- Wells Barkerville Elementary: Ballots requested, 20; Vote count, 12
- Westside Academy: Ballots requested, 26; Vote count, 0
Prince George-Valemount
- Blackburn Elementary: Ballots requested, 120; Vote count, 95
- Cedars Christian School: Ballots requested, 150; Vote count, 0
- EBUS Academy: Ballots requested, 2; Vote count, 0
- John McInnis Junior Secondary: Ballots requested, 217; Vote count, 57
- McBride Centennial Elementary: Ballots requested, 22; Vote count, 16
- McBride Secondary School: Ballots requested, 60; Vote count, 0
- Pinewood Elementary: Ballots requested, 30; Vote count, 22
- Prince George Secondary School: Ballots requested, 1,000; Vote count, 470
- Ron Brent Elementary: Ballots requested, 27; Vote count, 0
- Sacred Heart School: Ballots requested, 86; Vote count, 71
- Valemount Elementary: Ballots requested, 140; Vote count, 0
- Valemount Secondary School: Ballots requested, 80; Vote count, 55
- Van Bien Elementary: Ballots requested, 60; Vote count, 0
- Westwood Elementary: Ballots requested, 128; Vote count, 93
- École College Heights Elementary School: Ballots requested, 135; Vote count, 69
- École Franco-Nord: Ballots requested, 40; Vote count, 35
- École Secondaire Duchess Park: Ballots requested, 35; Vote count, 0
