20,000 students sign petition to bring back on-campus voting booths for polls

British Columbia: Over 20,000 students have signed a petition appealing Elections Canada to bring back on-campus voting for the Federal election on September 20.

Students in their petition state that scrapping of on campus voting program would lead to suppression and it may restricts student participation in the upcoming elections.

This program was started as a pilot program in 2015 aiming to boost students participation and help post-secondary students to cast a special ballot at polling stations in the campus.

A first-time federal voter and student from University of British Columbia said that she has also signed the petition as she was unhappy to find out the programme would be cancelled.

Another student said that having voting stations on campus will encourage youth to cast their votes.

Meanwhile, Election Canada says that this programme has been cancelled this year due to short time-line as it was called in August.