Why are Kwantlen students not voting?
In the last year’s general election only 555 students cast ballots, that is from a student body of over 17,000. Are we too lazy to vote? Too uninformed? Too completely ignorant to the fact that the people we vote for spend our money?
By Matt Law [Contributor]
Kwantlen students need to suck it up and vote to protect their interests and money.
Having only attended Kwantlen for a few months, I am surprised at the lack of voter turnout in recent elections.
In the last year’s general election only 555 students cast ballots, that is from a student body of over 17,000. Three per cent of students coming out to vote is disgusting.
Are we too lazy to vote? Too uninformed? Too completely ignorant to the fact that the people we vote for spend our money?
Kwantlen students must have forgotten the recent actions of former KSA members who allegedly participated in voter fraud, making undocumented payments of over $145,000 and using over $800,000 for high-risk loans, all with student money. It seems to me that this would be a hard thing to forget and might make people want to vote.
In a more recent vote in September of last year, only 494 votes were cast in a fee referendum that saw student tuition fees rise after the referendum passed.
I have to admit I didn’t vote in this past September’s fee referendum.
I didn’t really know the issues, having only been at Kwantlen for a few weeks. And now I pay more for every course I take because I was too lazy to read a brochure and put a check mark on a piece of paper.
Young voter apathy is a real problem in this country and it allows people to make decisions for us and take advantage of our absent voices.
The 2010 general election runs from Feb. 8-11 and will decide who is representing the students of Kwantlen and their money.
I for one will make sure I know who I am voting for and be at the voting booth with bells on come Election Day.
