A provincial election will be held on Thursday, February 27, 2025. Anyone who is a Canadian citizen, at least 18 years of age (on election day), and a resident of Ontario, even if temporarily absent, is eligible to vote. 

Where does a student vote? 

Students can vote in the location they deem to be their home. This could be either the political riding associated with a permanent address in Ontario, or the Hamilton riding within which a student lives while attending McMaster University. If you are unsure of your riding, enter your postal code here to find your electoral district. 

Do I need to register to vote? 

If you forget to register to vote in advance, you can still vote! Just remember to bring a piece of identification with your address on it when heading to the polls. If a student is living in student housing in Hamilton, they likely are not registered to vote.  

Electors who are on the register will receive a voter information card in the mail between February 17 to 22 with information about when and where to vote. 

You can use your Voter Registration card to confirm, update or add your information on the Register so that Elections Ontario can mail you a voter information card. The deadline to update or add your information using Voter Registration is February 17. 

Many students may not have a Hamilton address on their driver’s license. To properly identify yourself and vote on election day, you can use any photo ID—such as your student card—along with any documentation that verifies both your name and current address. Acceptable documents include a lease or a utility bill for your student house. 

Where does a student vote? 

Students eligible to vote can do so at their designated polling station in Ontario on February 27. If a student is registered to vote prior to February 27, they have the option to vote early at an advance polling station. 

Apply to vote by mail before February 21 at 6 PM to receive your voting kit in the mail. Elections Ontario must receive your completed voting kit by 6 PM on February 27 to be counted. 

You can also vote: 

• In person at your local elections office from January 30 to February 26, until 6:00 PM; 

• At any advance voting locations in your electoral district from 10 AM to 8 PM  from February 20 to 22; or 

• At your assigned voting location on election day from 9 AM to 9 PM on February 27. 

Remember to ALWAYS bring ID. 

The McMaster Students Union is hosting a Candidates Debate for the Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas riding. This is your chance to hear directly from candidates running to be your Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) on issues that are important to students. Your vote matters, make an informed vote on election day.

Candidates Debate

Date: February 24, 2025

Time: 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM 

Location: MUSC Atrium

Live-stream: MSU Instagram & Facebook

Looking to find your next go-to spot in Hamilton? Click the image below and download the guidebook to discover cafes, restaurants, activities, and more to do in Hamilton!

The Education Department is staffed with the Vice President (Education), Associate Vice Presidents University Affairs, Municipal Affairs, and Provincial & Federal Affairs, and research & project assistants. 3 SRA Standing Committees also fall under the Education Department, each supervised by an Associate Vice President (AVP). Together, they oversee multiple committees that focus on issues on campus, as well as issues that can be addressed on the municipal, provincial, and federal levels.

The MSU has undertaken the construction of a policy bank to articulate its stances on various aspects of student life and post-secondary education. The VP (Education) and the rest of the education team lobby to enact the changes that are outlined in these policies.

MSU policies are written through the Education team. They are well researched and make evidence-based recommendations to the University, all levels of government, and other stakeholders to improve student life. Each term 3 policies are written or edited and debated at the MSU Policy Conference (Policy Con). All MSU members are welcome to attend Policy Con and influence policy. If you are interested in writing MSU policy, please contact the VP (Education). Please select the links below to download the MSU policies in Adobe Acrobat PDF Format. Please contact assistant@msu.mcmaster.ca if you require a document in a different format. The policies are organized by the expiry date, with the top policies expiring soonest.

Access Copyright
International Students
First Year Transition
Food Security
Health and Wellness
Student Employment and Experiential Education
Sexual Violence Prevention and Response
Transit & Transportation
On-Campus Infrastructure
Racial, Cultural and Religious Equity
Student Housing and Near Campus Neighbourhoods
Sexual and Gender Diversity
Indigenous Students
Ancillary Fees
Mental Health
University Accessibility
Academic Success
Environmental Sustainability
Tuition and Post-Secondary Education Affordability
Student Engagement & Retention

OUSA Policy Papers

OUSA has an extensive database of policies and other forms of written lobbying which are accessible to students. We will often lobby with the stances outlined in OUSA policies, since we contribute to their creation as well. Click on the following links for more information:

OUSA Policy Papers
OUSA Research Reports
OUSA Government Submissions
More information on OUSA

Below are links to various research reports and documents compiled by the MSU Education Department. These reports summarize primary research initiatives such as surveys and focus groups that have informed MSU policy.

Hamilton Municipal Budget Submission (2024-2025)
Pre-Budget Submission to The City of Hamilton 2018 (PDF)
MSU Landlord Report 2017 (PDF)
First Year Feedback Form Report 2016 (PDF)
Change Camp 2016 Report (PDF)
MSU Tuition Report 2016 (PDF)
MSU Your City Survey 2016 (PDF)
2016 University Budget Submission (Available on Issuu)
MSU Accessibility Forum Report 2015 (PDF)
Municipal Advocacy Week 2015 Report (PDF)
Change Camp 2015 Report (PDF)
Accessibility Forum 2014 Report (PDF)

The SRA Standing Committee on University Affairs (UA) is tasked with policy making, information gathering, and advocating on behalf of students regarding issues within the university. The University Affairs committee deals with the internal MSU relations within the university that influence the student experience. In working with the Board of Directors (specifically the Vice-President (Education)), the University administration, as well as campus groups and stakeholders, the University Affairs Committee strives to meet the needs of our students and help provide them with a higher quality undergraduate experience at McMaster.

For more information, contact the Associate Vice-President (University Affairs) avpuniversity@msu.mcmaster.ca.

The MSU advocates to key stakeholders on municipal issues in order to enhance students’ lives in Hamilton. The SRA Municipal Affairs Committee represents students’ issues while remaining receptive to community concerns and suggestions.

For more information, please contact the Associate Vice-President (Municipal Affairs) at avpmunicipal@msu.mcmaster.ca.

The MSU advocates for educational policy improvements at both the provincial and federal levels of jurisdiction. We are a part of two lobbying organizations, OUSA and UCRU, and work with them to lobby to the government to make post-secondary education more affordable and accessible for all students. Some of the issues that we have worked on and will be working on are tuition, healthcare for international students, open-textbooks, and experiential education.

For more information, please contact the Associate Vice-President (Provincial and Federal Affairs) avpprovfed@msu.mcmaster.ca

OUSA

The Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) represents the interests of over 140,000 professional and undergraduate, full-time and part-time university students at eight student associations across Ontario, including McMaster. OUSA is run by a Steering Committee made up of elected student representatives from each of our member associations – including the MSU’s own VP Education. Day-to-day activities are carried out by four full-time office staff.

OUSA’s approach to advocacy is based on creating substantive, student-driven, and evidence-based policy recommendations. Our professional government relations practices ensure that we have access to decision-makers we need in order for our members’ voices to influence provincial legislation and policy. OUSA is non-partisan and our policies are written and ratified by students. Read more about its organizational history here.

The MSU does the majority of its provincial lobbying through OUSA. You can get involved with OUSA by attending one of the General Assemblies as a McMaster delegate. Each term, OUSA hosts a general assembly where delegates from all member schools debate and pass policy. These policies then become the official stances of OUSA and guide its advocacy efforts for the next three years. Check this page during October and February for application information!

UCRU

The Undergraduates of Canadian Research-Intensive Universities (UCRU) (formerly known as ADVOCAN) is a formal collective of undergraduate student unions from some of Canada’s largest research-intensive universities. Each year, the UCRU delegation meets with Members of Parliament and policy makers at Parliament Hill in Ottawa to discuss the advocacy priorities of the more than 240,000 post-secondary students we collectively represent.

Mission: To advocate to the Federal Government of Canada for an affordable, inclusive, and high-caliber undergraduate university education with opportunities for research through a coalition of student associations from U15 universities.

We are a coalition of eight student associations from Canadian research-intensive universities:

Federation of Students (Feds) – University of Waterloo
Western University’s Student Council (USC) – Western University
McMaster Student Union (MSU) – McMaster University
The Alma Mater Society (AMS) – Queen’s University
University of Toronto Student Union (UTSU) – University of Toronto
The Alma Mater Society of UBC Vancouver (AMS-UBC) – University of British Columbia
University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union (USSU) – University of Saskatchewan
University of Manitoba Students Union (UMSU) – University of Manitoba

For more information about UCRU or our advocacy week in Ottawa, please contact the VP (Education) vped@msu.mcmaster.ca

Provincial Advocacy

• Current Efforts and Priorities
• Voter registration campaign planning
• Demographic data collection report
• Open-textbook model development
• Work Integrated Learning infrastructure development
• Tuition and financial assistance
• Improving Mental Health strategies
• Improving Accessibility strategies

The MSU Policy Conference is an oppor­tunity for students to provide their perspective and feedback on the issues that the MSU is asking of the University and all levels of government.

Students need not be experts on these top­ics – people simply need to be willing to participate in the conversation. Delegates for the conference will be provided with draft policies in advance of the conference for an opportunity to learn more about each topic. As well, training will be provided on conference day to ensure that delegates have an understanding and the tools needed to critically engage in discussions with each other and with the policy authors.

In addition to policy discus­sion, there will also be an oppor­tunity for students to learn about how the MSU advocates, how to get involved fur­ther with advocacy on campus and to hear from guest speakers.

This term, the papers being discussed are:

• Tuition & Post-Secondary Affordability
• International Students
• Transit & Transportation

For more information, contact the VP (Education) via vped@msu.mcmaster.ca or 905-525-9140 ext. 24017.

The Breaking Barriers Conference was created to support women on their journey to leadership. This two-day event features professional development workshops, networking opportunities with local leaders, and inspiring panel discussions, all designed to equip students with the skills and confidence needed to succeed in leadership and politics.

Your ticket fee covers all associated costs, including meals and the social activity on Friday. The dress code is business casual, and the event will take place in the Loft, located on the 4th floor of The Hub.

2025 Conference Dates & Times

• Friday, January 17th: 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM
  • Professional Development Sessions
  • Dinner
  • Paint N’ Sip Social Activity
• Saturday, January 18th: 9:30 AM – 2:30 PM
  • Panel with Women working in Politics
  • Networking Session
  • Panel with Student Leaders
  • Lunch

To buy tickets, click here!

Habitats is an annual publication, organized by the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA), that brings together articles written by students at all of our member institutions. The articles are meant to provide case studies on municipal-level issues affecting undergraduate students at their campuses. They can highlight strengths, weaknesses, failures, or successes on topics such as community engagement, transit, housing, landlord-tenant board activities, etc.

This publication offers policymakers, politicians, students, and administrators insight into student
perspectives on issues relevant to them and their communities. It is our hope that sharing these
perspectives with stakeholders will contribute to building meaningful and lasting partnerships between
students and their broader municipal communities. As we navigate the impacts of the evolving economy,
it is more necessary than ever that we include student voices in these conversations, and we listen.
Each article should focus specifically on an issue affecting their campus, municipality, or broader
community. Students can approach the article from any angle they like, including but not limited to
conducting interviews, doing a media scan, or writing an article like you would a research paper, as they
have total control over your approach.

For some past examples, feel free to look at previous editions here:

For some past examples, feel free to look at previous editions here:
Habitats: Students in their Municipalities 2024
Habitats: Students in their Municipalities 2023
Habitats: Students in their Municipalities 2022
Habitats: Students in their Municipalities 2021

By participating in Habitats, students have the opportunity to become a published author, gain
experience in research, writing, and policy, and have their work shared with post-secondary stakeholders.

Word Count: 3-5 pages/1500 words (not including citations, graphics, title, etc.).
Citation Style: Chicago 17th Edition Footnote Style

If you are interested in being a student author, contact OUSA at research@ousa.ca by March 5th with a self introduction and issue you want to write about.