Posted on Sept. 30: Students educate, engage disinclined voters

When it comes to the importance of exercising one's right to vote, students and those living in subsidized housing have a similar goal, feels political science student Sam Minniti.

For students, it's tuition. For tenants of residential care homes, it's social assistance.

“We're really not that different,” says Minniti, one of about 15 students involved in a second-year political science project that aims to get those disinclined to vote to the polls on Thursday, Oct. 2. “Even though we're different in our needs, we're both part of a population that requires our voices to be heard to ensure we're on the radar screen of the person elected.”

As part of “Political Science 2DD3  Participation and Elitist Politics in Canada”, taught by political science professor Michael Stein, students are visiting care homes in Hamilton with three goals in mind  getting tenants registered to vote, transported to the polls and educated about democracy.

“Many of them know relatively little about the political process, but they are very interested when they find out that it is the government that determines what their social assistance intake should be,” says Stein.

The project is the brainchild of Tom Cooper, a former student of Stein and now a community development co-ordinator at McQuesten Legal and Community Services. This summer, Cooper approached Stein and urban geographer Robert Wilton about a project where students visit care homes to educate tenants on the voting process.

The project is part of McMaster's overall goal to include experiential learning in the classroom. “This has helped students put concrete meaning to abstract learning in the classroom,” Stein says.

The project doesn't come to an end on election day, however, as students will continue to visit care homes during the municipal election in November. Students will also follow-up with the homes following the election to see how many tenants voted.

Last week, students visited five care homes in Hamilton and talked to about 80 tenants.

Minniti was surprised at their interest in the political process. “I was surprised at the degree of interest they shared,” he said, adding the tenants, who ranged in age from late 30s to early 80s, were thankful and sometimes emotional that someone had thought of them.

“But it didn't take long for one of them to ask who we thought they should vote for,” said the former MSU president. “We told them we were there to raise awareness and they should take time to learn about the issues.” As a student, Minitti said he would look at the issues and how they affect post-secondary education. “For you,” he advised tenants, “it may be different in the issues you think they should be focusing on.”

Social assistance allowances, for example, may be an issue that concerns them, he said.

When students asked tenants if they planned to vote on election day, “most said definitely”, Minniti said. “If it's just one person that ends up voting, then we've done our job.”

Students also held a mock election to simulate the voting process. The ballot asked tenants to vote on their favorite sport, with the results being hockey.

“On the whole it was definitely fruitful,” said Minniti. “Our goal is to get people engaged and aware that they have a voice.”