Despite a sweeping majority, the Liberal victory in last week’s election was not without controversy in Toronto, as students were often greeted with a chilly reception from returning officers or pollsters who questioned whether the young voters were casting their ballot in the right riding.The confusion resulted from the question of where students can vote. According to recent Elections Ontario statements, students must vote in the riding where their families reside. The Canadian Federation of Students, however, backed up by a legal interpretation from Toronto lawyer Jeffry House, says that the Elections Act implies students have the choice to vote in the riding where they go to school.

CFS Ontario President Joel Duff said forcing students to vote in their parents’ ridings is unfair since students spend at least eight months of the year in their school ridings and have most access to information about candidates in that riding.

“It’s absurd for Elections Ontario to expect students to cast an informed ballot in that riding,” he said. “It comes down to a matter of rights. Students have the same rights as anybody else and we fully expect to be extended those rights.”

What’s more, it seems the law is being inconsistently interpreted. While U of T students in the Toronto riding of Trinity-Spadina were being told to vote at home, students in Waterloo managed to register to vote there.

To confuse the matter further, a statement provided to CFS by Elections Ontario in March of this year indicated that students could vote in their school riding. “You may vote in the electoral district where you live while you are at school or while you’re at home-it’s up to you! You decide which one you call your permanent address, regardless of when an election is called,” says the original statement, submitted by Elections Ontario for the CFS Web site VoteEducation.ca.

A revised version of the statement, issued after the calling of the election, states that “The place where your family lives is your permanent residence until you move elsewhere with the intention of making that change permanent.”

Nima Hoda is among students who was told to vote in their parents’ riding. Hoda said he considers Ottawa to be his permanent address for practical reasons but believes he should vote in Toronto because this is where he currently lives. “If I voted in Ottawa I think my vote would just be lost in the sea of votes from people who don’t necessarily have the same interest as myself,” he said.

OISE education student Bryan Timm was allowed to vote in Trinity-Spadina, but was concerned with the lack of patience the returning officers had for students, many of whom were voting for the first time. “They should be happy that people are coming in,” said Timm, adding “there was certainly some hostility.”

According to the officer that Timm spoke to, many students were coming in to register just hours before the polls closed, and were not prepared to register properly, despite a widespread press campaign to educate students. “In fairness, it was a busy day,” he noted. Timm was also disappointed that no SAC official had met with the returning officer to prepare them for the onslaught of rookie voters.