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I’ve spoken with thousands of students in recent years from Victoria to Prince George to Castlegar. Many wouldn’t consider themselves to be “political” or “activists.” They do, however, care about varying issues and do pay attention. Almost everyone I’ve spoken with wants to help make a positive difference. Interestingly, the recent U.S. presidential election seems to have galvanized many. Sitting on the sidelines is no longer an option. Too much can go wrong.

Students and youth are currently organizing across B.C. to make sure we build on momentum from the Canadian federal election. We’re leveraging best practices from political campaigns and social-science research.

For example, youth and non-voters are much more likely to vote when they perceive it will help make a difference. This is where inaccurate public polling can act as a tool of voter suppression. Did you know the recent U.S. election came down to fewer than 110,000 votes across three states?

According to numerous post-election analyses, had more voters ignored the media pundits and shockingly faulty polling and believed that every vote matters and every vote counts, there would have been a different result.

As we head into our provincial election we need to remind people about their agency and help them feel the urgency. Here’s one thing we know for certain: The last provincial election came down to seven ridings and less than 3,300 votes. Of these, four swing ridings came down to less than 500 votes. That’s it!