Association Uses Social Media To Reach Canadian Student Voters

The coming 2011 Canadian election will raise the bar on the importance of social media.

Biting radio and TV ads may have swayed their parents, but this generation of voters want to see a candidate’s Facebook page.

The coming 2011 Canadian election will raise the bar on the importance of using web tools to get young people to vote.

The Canadian Alliance of Student Associations recently launched studentsneedtovote.ca, to make information about the looming accessible to today’s student.

“Students live on social networks and media, and this campaign and website engages students and politicians online,” said Zach Dayler, national director of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations.

“This might be the first ‘Twitter election.’”

The site houses student-centred information, blogs and videos for the looming election.

Fittingly, Canadian funny man and political satirist Rick Mercer added the first video blog.

“There is one issue where all the major parties seem to agree, students don’t vote. According to the major political parties, you might as well be a prisoner doing federal time,” said Mercer.

“There are one-million students in this country, and believe me, if you showed up to vote, your tuition would never go up again, and post-secondary education would finally become a priority.”