Students Nova Scotia Launches Get Out the Vote Campaign

Students Nova Scotia Launches Provincial Get Out the Vote Campaign

July 19, 2021

For Immediate Release 

Halifax, NS  - Today, Students Nova Scotia is launching a non-partisan Get Out the Vote (GOTV) campaign, encouraging student and youth voters to show up to the polls in this summer’s provincial election. 

With over 55,000 postsecondary students choosing to study in the province and nearly a tenth of Nova Scotians falling between the ages of 18 and 24, students and youth represent a key voting bloc in the region. Through this voter mobilization campaign, StudentsNS hopes to ensure that all students who are eligible to cast their ballot this August choose to do so. 

A key focus of the campaign will be demystifying the voting process and clearly outlining criteria around eligibility, registration and voting options. “This election is the first time many students will be eligible to vote, so the process may seem a bit intimidating,” says Matthew Stanbrook, Vice-Chair of Students Nova Scotia. StudentsNS will also be promoting alternatives to voting in-person on Election Day, including write-in ballots and advance polls. 

Student associations across the province will be providing opportunities for students to engage directly with the political and electoral processes through initiatives such as all-candidate meet and greets, voter information sessions, contests and events. 

They will also be encouraging students to pledge to vote. 

“We know that when young people make a formal commitment to vote, they are more likely to actually show up to the polls”, says Benjamin Fairhurst, Chair of Students Nova Scotia. “That’s why a key focus of our campaign is encouraging students to pledge to vote in advance of Election Day”. Pledges will be collected through an online portal at studentsns.nationbuilder.com, with member schools competing to collect the highest number of responses. 

To learn more about StudentsNS’ GOTV campaign and ways to become involved, visit studentsns.nationbuilder.com. 

Students Nova Scotia is the province’s largest student advocacy organization, representing 20,000 students at the undergraduate, graduate, and college levels of study. Our key values are accessibility, affordability, quality of education and the role of the student voice.

For more information, contact:

Lydia Houck, Executive Director

E-mail: director@studentsns.ca  

Phone: 902-476-2367