Green Party attempts to get youth vote out

Local Green Party of Quebec provincial election candidates made an attempt at getting the youth vote out by renting a high school bus and putting it at the disposal of CEGEP Gérald Godin students to drive them to advance polling stations earlier today, but nobody wound up getting on board.

"I think I'll go vote on the 8th of December," commented Vanessa Houston, a student standing near her friends in a small circle outside the college as she watched the empty bus.

Houston said she has been trying to follow the provincial elections, but it has been a little difficult with the campaign coinciding with exam period for students.

Meanwhile, student Olivier Nadon, who was also standing near the bus, said he was not going to vote either, but for an entirely different reason. "I already voted in advance," he explained.

Nadon also said he was uncomfortable with the idea of any single party attempting to speak to young voters on their own. "It seems like propaganda," he said.

He added it would be much better if all major parties arrived on the same day to speak to voters at the same time.

"That would almost make it like a debate, it would be better," agreed Étienne Gervais, another student standing nearby.

Green Party candidates who had organized the event denied they were trying to score points with youth. "Sure, it is an effort organized by the Green Party," said Vaudreuil candidate Julien Leclerc. "But we're interested in getting the youth vote out, not just to have them vote for the Green Party."

Johnathan Théorêt, the Green candidate running in Nelligan where Gérald Godin is located, was the main organizer of today's event. "I think it's going well," he told The Chronicle<@$p> as he greeted students inside the CEGEP's entrance hall. He kept smiling even an hour later, when it was clear nobody intended to board the high school bus.

The Green Party were not the first to reach out to youth voters. According to a Liberal spokesperson who wished to remain anonymous, three of that party's West Island incumbents, Yolande James in Nelligan, Geoff Kelley in Jacques Cartier, and Pierre Marsan in Robert Baldwin, all showed up at the institution Monday morning. "The goal was mostly to talk to students and encourage them to vote," the spokesperson said.

And two weeks ago, Parti Québecois candidates for the same three ridings set up tables to distribute pamphlets and talk to youth.