Elections Newfoundland and Labrador launches Campus Voting project

For the first time, Elections Newfoundland and Labrador will operate a Campus Voting pilot project aimed at engaging post-secondary students.

• Thousands of students vote at MUN polling station

The three-day project is intended to make voting in the upcoming provincial election as easy and accessible as possible for those attending Memorial University.

The project will provide students with the option of voting by special ballot in advance of election day at an on-campus voting office.

"Part of Elections Newfoundland and Labrador's mandate includes making voting accessible for all electors," Newfoundland and Labrador chief electoral officer Victor Powers said in a statement.

"We understand the unique challenges that students face when it comes to voting, especially when living away from home to pursue their studies. With that said, we are very pleased to be opening a Campus Voting office, for the first time ever, at MUN in St. John's," he said.

In addition to a convenient location for those attending the university, the project will allow students to vote in the ridingthey consider home.

According to Canadian Federation of Students-Newfoundland and Labrador Chair Travis Perry, students were very active on campus during the recent federal election due to similar on-campus polling stations.

"By working with students to establish a Campus Voting office, Elections Newfoundland and Labrador is ensuring that young people who otherwise might not have had access to the polls in their home districts continue to be engaged in the provincial election," says Perry.

The Campus Voting pilot project will run from from Monday, Nov.16to Wednesday, Nov.18, and will be open from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. The office will be located at The Landing in the University Centre at Memorial, room UC 3018.

Students intending to vote on-campus must provide proof of identity, like a driver's licence or utility bill, and complete a special ballot application.

The applications are available online on the Elections Newfoundland and Labrador websitefor students who wish to complete the required application in advance of visiting the Campus Voting office.