Elementary, high school students vote NDP in Student Vote Alberta simulation

Over 170,000 Alberta high school and elementary students participated in Student Vote Alberta (Photo: Twitter@CIVIX_Canada/Ronald_Harvey_School)

Over 170,000 elementary and high school students weighed in on the Alberta election and the NDP had to hope the real voters were listening, because they won the kids' vote.

It was all part of Student Vote Alberta, in which young Albertans learn about government, democracy, research the parties and their platforms, and debate the future of the province before casting hypothetical votes for the official candidates running in their particular school's electoral division.

As of 6 p.m. Monday, 170,079 votes were recorded from 1,079 Alberta schools, producing results in all 87 provincial electoral divisions.

The NDP took 42.1 per cent of the overall vote, winning 47 seats, and forming a majority government.

The UCP won 40.4 per cent of the popular vote, good for 39 seats.

Rachel Notley and Danielle Smith both won their seats.

The Green Party received 6.6 per cent of the vote, but party leader Jordan Wilkie lost in Edmonton-Rutherford.

Student Vote is a program of CIVIX, a non-partisan registered charity dedicated to strengthening democracy through civic education.

CIVIX programming focuses on elections, government budgets, elected representatives and digital media literacy.

Student Vote Alberta was made possible by Elections Alberta, the Alberta Teacher's Association and the Government of Canada.