SAINT MARY'S UNIVERSITY STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION
SMUSA Partners to Launch Provincial Get Out the Vote Campaign

On October 28, Saint Mary's University Students' Association along with Students Nova Scotia is launching a non-partisan Get Out the Vote (GOTV) campaign to encourage student and youth voters to head to the polls for the upcoming provincial election. With over 60,000 postsecondary students studying in the province and nearly 10% of Nova Scotians falling between the ages of 18 and 24, students and youth are a key voting bloc in the region. Through this voter mobilization campaign, SMUSA hopes to ensure that all eligible Saint Mary's students choose to exercise their right to vote this fall.

The campaign aims to demystify the voting process by providing clear information on eligibility, registration and voting options. "Many students may be voting for the first time, so it's essential they receive the education needed to become lifelong voters," says G Saleski, Executive Director of Students Nova Scotia. StudentsNS will also be promoting alternatives to voting in-person on Election Day, such as write-in ballots and advance polls.

In addition to voting resources, SMUSA along with other student associations across the province will host opportunities for students to engage with the political and electoral processes. These initiatives include all-candidate meet-and-greets, voter information sessions, contests, and events. They will also be encouraging students to pledge to vote.

"We're asking all students to make a formal commitment to vote before Election Day by pledging online and spreading the word," says Prajwal Shetty, SMUSA VP Advocacy and Chair of Students Nova Scotia. "Pledges are an effective tool to boost turnout and ensure students are heard at the polls across the province." Pledges will be collected through an online portal at studentsns.nationbuilder.com, with member and observer schools competing to collect the most student pledges.

To learn more about SMUSA and StudentsNS' GOTV campaign and ways to get involved, visit studentsns.nationbuilder.com.