During the 2021 Federal Election, Elections Canada cancelled the Vote on Campus program, forcing Trent students to bus to the Selwyn Outreach Centre if they wished to vote in Peterborough. 

While Elections Ontario does not track demographic data for voter turnout by age group, federal turnout among students has historically been low among voters aged 18–24. Pundits have attributed lower voter turnout among young people to the fact that students are often away from their home ridings during election periods, and are presented with accessibility  barriers as in the aforementioned Federal Election. 

Many university campuses lack accessible, on-campus polling stations on election day, which critics say compounds voter apathy problems among students.

As such, when Elections Ontario announced they would be operating a polling station on Trent University’s Symons campus for the February 27th Ontario provincial election, many were keen to share the news on social media. 

Over the last week, both Trent University and the Trent Central Student Association (TCSA) have aggressivle promoted the option to vote on campus, providing infographics about the poll’s location and the necessary items and identification for students to vote on-campus. 

“Elections Ontario will be hosting a voting station, open to all eligible students, staff, and faculty, on Symons campus on Thursday,” the university announced in a bulletin posted on Monday, February 24th on the MyTrent portal.

However, late Tuesday night, an Instagram post from the Peterborough Youth New Democrats (YNDP) drew alarm from student voters, as it alleged that students would have to vote at polling stations assigned to them by the Elections Ontario Voter Information Service portal as opposed to on-campus at the Student Centre.

In videos posted Tuesday, YDNP Co-Chair Ben Hickey told followers of the Peterborough YNDP account that he had corresponded with the Trent Central Student Association (TCSA), the Peterborough–Kawartha elections office, and Elections Ontario to confirm that not all students are eligible to vote at the Student Centre.

Hickey claimed that students living on East Bank might be unable to vote on campus, and would instead have to vote at the Community Centre in nearby Douro. There is presently no bus service between Douro and Symons Campus, and commentors alleged that students assigned to the Douro Community Centre would have to drive or walk an hour-and-a-half to reach the polling station

When asked by Arthur over the phone this morning whether students in residence were being told to vote in Douro, a returning officer for the Peterborough–Kawartha electoral district with Elections Ontario said that on-campus students living on both East and West Banks were eligible to vote at the Student Centre polling station. 

The officer attributed the misinformation surrounding students' assigned polling stations to the fact voting cards had been issued before Elections Ontario had confirmed a polling station on Trent campus, which they said was "a rather last-minute decision on the part of Elections Ontario."

This information contradicts various prior claims made by the TCSA, Trent University, and the Peterborough YNDP. 

Posts from both Trent University and the TCSA claimed that all Trent students could vote on campus with accepted ID, and did not identify specific groups who would be unable to vote on campus.

Arthur has since obtained screenshots of Instagram direct message conversations between the official TCSA account and the Peterborough YNDP discussing students’ eligibility to use the on-campus poll. 

When confronted with voter information which contradicted what the Association had been posting, the administrator of the TCSA’s account admits that they asked someone on the TCSA team and confirmed that students “can only vote at their neighbourhood poll” on Election Day. 

The Association’s social media manager further admits that the TCSA was “under the impression students and any staff/faculty could come vote” at the Student Centre polling station.

When asked about student eligibility for the on-campus polling station, the TCSA’s Association Resource Manager, Wendy Walker, initially told Arthur that the polling station on campus is “designated for on-campus students; anyone whose address is on the Trent property would be eligible, including East Bank and Annex students.”

“While we were previously told it would be available to all students (the poll was only confirmed late last week),” Walker explained. “Elections Ontario informed us this morning that the poll is designated to on-campus students.”

Walker added that “While the Association would have preferred to have this poll accessible to more people, we are working within the regulations set by Elections Ontario.”

Shortly after their initial response, the TCSA informed Arthur that “on-campus voting booth will no longer be available to Annex students, only students living in residences that are on Trent University property will be able to access the poll.” 

As of writing, the TCSA and Peterborough YNDP have both deleted posts referencing claims which have been disproven by Elections Ontario officials. Trent University has also edited the February 24th MyTrent bulletin to reflect on-campus voter eligibility.

The TCSA have further issued a series of new posts detailing who is eligible to vote on-campus. Students who live in an on-campus college (Champlain, Gzowski, Lady Eaton, or Otonabee) are eligible to vote at the Student Centre polling station. 

At time of publication, students who live off-campus or at a campus Annex (GC Annex, LEC Annex, Channex, or Traill Annex) are advised to find their assigned polling station through the Elections Ontario Voter Information Service portal.

The Voter Information Service portal currently directs Traill College students to the Knights of Columbus Bishop Doyle Hall 317 Hunter St. W, between Trinity United Church and the Cathedral of St. Peter-In-Chains.

As of the morning of February 27th, students residing in the Annexes are being directed to vote on campus at the Trent University Student Centre.

In addition to government ID, Elections Ontario requires students to bring proof of campus residence to cast a ballot on Symons campus.