With the Calgary municipal election less than one week away, Mount Royal University (MRU) students expressed their worries about what the city’s future means for students, from housing to climate concerns.
In preparation for the election, the Students’ Association of Mount Royal University (SAMRU) hosted events designed to encourage a higher youth voter turnout and make voting feel more “approachable” including Municipal Mondays Trivia and Fall Student Connect.
SAMRU Vice President External Mariana Mejia Salazar says these events are part of a larger effort to show students that their voices can drive impactful change in Calgary.
“[Voting] is so important because it ensures that the issues shaping their lives are represented in local decision making,” said Salazar. “When students participate in elections, they’re not only influencing policies that affect them today but also helping build a culture of civic engagement for the future.”
The Municipal Student Connect event on Sept. 29 included 33 political candidates for ward councillor and incumbent mayoral candidate Jyoti Gondek in attendance, along with more than 100 students who came out to engage with them.
What matters to MRU students the most?
Through an informal on-campus survey conducted by the Calgary Journal, 22 MRU students voiced their thoughts on the municipal election and civic engagement.
The survey, distributed online through Google Forms, asked participants to rate statements on a five-point Likert scale about their awareness and confidence in local politics and whether they plan to vote. It also invited open-ended feedback on how MRU could better support young people in becoming active voters.
One student suggested that universities should tailor their outreach based on how students engage with information, saying that “promotion and understanding that what people consume can have a correlation to their views and what is most important to them.”
Others emphasized the need for more visible campus promotion, accessible election resources and opportunities to connect civic issues directly to student life.
Students were also asked how universities like MRU could better support young people in becoming active voters, and many pointed to the need for greater efforts to connect political issues to students’ everyday lives.
Ranging from ages 17 to 26, nearly 65 per cent of respondents strongly agreed that voting is important, while the rest shared that they often feel disconnected from local politics or unsure about how municipal decisions affect them directly.
“Each party has its bad side,” one respondent said. “Sometimes it feels like you’re just trying to choose the least bad option.”
Top concerns included public transit, community safety, jobs and affordable housing. This was then followed closely by social issues, climate and environmental initiatives.
Some also suggested that infographics and interactive events could help make local politics feel more approachable and relevant to young people.
Nonetheless, although students are passionate about the issues shaping their city, many said they still feel “disconnected” from how municipal politics operates. Several admitted that while they want to be involved, they often don’t know where to start or how to make their voices heard in local decision-making.
Preparing for Monday’s election
On Oct. 20, eligible Calgarians will be able to vote for the upcoming municipal election at their designated polling station.
All official mayoral, councillor and school board trustee candidates can be found on the Elections Calgary website, where voters can review candidate and voting information ahead of casting their ballots.