Claire Rattee would be packing her bags to move to Ottawa to be the Conservative Party of Canada’s next Member of Parliament for the Skeena - Bulkley Valley riding if young voters at the Houston Christian School had their way.
But student voters at Twain Sullivan felt differently with enough deciding to back the real winner of the Sept. 20 federal election — New Democrat incumbent Taylor Bachrach.
The two differing results were part of a nation-wide student voting campaign in a mock federal election organized by a group called CIVIX with the participation of Elections Canada.
At the Houston Christian School, 34 students, or 55 per cent of those who did vote, gave Rattee a clear majority victory with 12 voters, or 19 per cent of those who took part, favouring the Christian Heritage Party’s Rod Taylor. Bachrach came in third with six votes or 10 per cent of those who voted.
At Twain Sullivan, Bachrach rang up 43 per cent of the vote with 39 ballots compared to Rattee’s 23 votes and 27 per cent support.
From all participating schools in the riding, Bachrach received 37 per cent of the vote and Rattee 19 per cent. The Green candidate received 16 per cent of the vote, with the People’s Party of Canada candidate coming next at 9.75 per cent, the Liberal candidate at 8.88 per cent and the Christian Heritage Party’s Rod Taylor came last at 7.22 per cent.
In the actual vote, Bachrach claimed 15,100 votes or 42.3 per cent with Rattee coming in second with 12,995 votes or 36.1 per cent of ballots cast. Liberal Lakwinder Jhaj and Jody Craven of the People’s Party of Canada were tied at 7.8 per cent while Taylor of the Christian Heritage Party gathered in 2.1 per cent and Green candidate Adeana Young received 3.8 per cent.
CIVIX seeks to increase the participation of young Canadians in public affair and in this election nearly 800,000 students cast votes in nearly 5,900 schools.
Based on the student results, the Liberal party would form a minority government, just as it did on election night, with 117 seats, less than the 158 actual total.
But the NDP would be the second largest party in Parliament with 106 seats, substantially more than the 25 the party actually won.
The Conservative Party won 90 seats, less than the 119 in the real election.
The Bloc Québecois won 21 seats compared to the actual total of 34 seats while the Green party won three seats, one less than in the real election.