After hearing from all of the candidates running in Cariboo-Chilcotin and Cariboo North, with the exception of Green Party candidate Dustin Price, during a forum held at William Lake secondary school on May 7, students in Williams Lake voted in a mock election held May 10 at both Columneetza and Williams Lake secondary schools.
The schools could not release the results until after the official election May 14 results were made known, Columneetza teacher Shannon Rerie said.
At Columneetza Secondary School Liberal candidate Donna Barnett received 140 votes, the NDP’s Charlie Wyse received 121, the Green Party’s Dustin Price received 104, and Independent Gary Young received 61, while 29 ballots were spoiled.
At WLSS, Wyse received 78 votes, Barnett received 76, Young received 56, Price received 44 and nine ballots were spoiled.
WLSS teacher Brian Badgero, who emceed the forum, said the schools were given Cariboo-Chilcotin ballots only because the schools fall within that riding.
After the forum it was great to hear students talking about the issues that were brought up during the forum or just comparing party platforms (Liberal vs. NDP), Badgero said.
“To get students to become engaged in politics and discussing the issues with their peers made the event a great success. We even had real polling stations and ballot boxes for students to get accustomed to.
It was great to work with Shannon Rerie at Columneetza because without her we wouldn’t have gotten all of the candidates showing up to our forum.”