Whether Queen’s acknowledges it or not, a provincial election took place.
Yesterday, over five million Ontario residents hit the polls to decide the province’s future. But walking through campus in the weeks leading up to the snap election, you wouldn’t have known it was happening. No posters, no e-mails, no reminders from the istration—not even a post on Instagram. Just silence.
For a school that prides itself on civic engagement, Queen’s dropped the ball.
Many students, especially those voting for the first time, faced confusion over where to vote, what ID was required, or whether they should cast a ballot in Kingston or their home riding. Other universities, like Waterloo and Laurier, made sure their students and faculty had the resources they needed—information on how to , polling station locations, and links to Elections Ontario.
By speaking up and acting, these schools understand that civic engagement doesn’t happen on its own. Queen’s didn’t.
The only real efforts to inform one another about voting came from students themselves. The Rector, an elected student representative, put together a Meet the Candidates event to help students engage with the people running to serve them. These were important initiatives, but the fact they had to come from student-run bodies, rather than the University istration, is telling.
What’s more frustrating is the University’s apparent awareness of this election’s significance, but failure to communicate it to students. At the first Senate meeting of the year, Principal Patrick Deane discussed the election’s potential impact. At the Feb. 27 Senate—conveniently on voting day—Deane vocalized concern over the election, particularly around what the platforms of the Liberals and Conservatives implied for higher education. Thus, it’s puzzling how such concerns could be kept quiet leading up to election day.
If Queen’s leadership can be concerned enough to discuss it behind closed doors, then they should’ve done more to ensure students were informed and engaged.
Universities are meant to be places where civic participation is encouraged, yet ours let an election by without so much as an acknowledgment. This silence isn’t just an oversight—it’s a failure to student democracy.
Students are a powerful voting bloc, and when they turn out, they can make a real difference. But participation doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It requires institutions like Queen’s to put forth efforts—to treat student voters as more than an afterthought.
This election wasn’t insignificant. Issues like housing, healthcare, and education funding were on the ballot—all of which directly impact students.
If the University truly cares about the role of young people in shaping Canada’s future, it must begin by doing the bare minimum: making sure they know how to cast a ballot.
Allie and Skylar are fourth-year Political Studies students and The Journal’s Editors in Chief.
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