KANGIQTUGAAPIK/CLYDE RIVER
Youth in Clyde River took an active role in the federal election, debating issues, learning how the party system works and teaching each other about the mechanics of voting.

Leah Palituq flashes the peace sign as she makes her vote at Quluaq School in Clyde River. - photo courtesy of Patricia MacNeil

The program was part of Student Vote, which saw hundreds of schools around the country engage in mock voting exercises complete with real ballot boxes and voter cards.

"It really provides them a chance to research what the part system is like," said Patricia MacNeil, a teacher at Quluaq School in Clyde River.

"After researching the candidates that were running in Nunavut, they ran an actual polling station. Some of our senior high students adapted the role of poll clerk, and they'd check the name of the voting list. Younger students would come in and mark their ballot. The older high school students had a chance to explain the voting process to the younger students. That was pretty exciting."

The biggest teaching issue, said MacNeil, was explaining the differences between Nunavut's consensus style government and the federal party system.

Some students took a big interest in local environmental issues, specifically the hot topic of seismic testing in the water off their own community.

"Some students were interested in health issues and legalization of different things," said MacNeil. "Some students were really interested in child tax credits."

In the end, students voted largely on par with the adults of Nunavut, but had a bit different of a result.

"It was a tight race between the Liberal candidate Hunter Tootoo and the Conservative candidate Leona Aglukkaq," said MacNeil. "In our riding, Leona actually came out on top by two votes."

It's hard to say why Aglukkaq won the Clyde River youth vote, said MacNeil. She guessed that name recognition had something to do with it.

But the goal of the program wasn't to find out who'd win, but to get students talking, and in that it succeeded.

"Just through conversation with parents, I've heard anecdotal stories that they've chatted at home about the different parties and how interesting it was," said MacNeil. "I think it really facilitates engagement of students. I'm really proud of my students."