Yesterday the citizens of Ontario went to the polls to elect our provincial government. While the outcome was as expected (a landslide victory for the Liberals), there is another, less-publicised story that played out last night.

More than 275,000 students between Grade 5 and Grade 12 also voted in a mock election designed to educate soon-to-be voters on party politics, key political issues, and the electoral system. The students’ election ran in parallel with the actual election and the results were also revealed on CBC News. While few people may have paid attention to this, I think the vast difference in outcomes between student votes and actual election results is worth some analysis.

While some may dismiss the results as simply the views of a bunch of kids, I think politicians would be wise to take note. Students are not only informed decision makers (many of them debate the issues as part of the school curriculum), but they are also the electorate of tomorrow. In the next election (2011), almost half of the students who voted in the mock election this year will be eligible to vote.