Asmore than 720,000adults hit the polls Monday to vote inToronto's by-election for mayor, their children did, too, in a mock election that showed which candidate resonated most with the city's young people.

According to the results ofStudent Vote Ontario, the majority of our youth would have likewise elected Olivia Chow into office, but it's the person who got the second-most votes that may serve as a surprise.

Not my 10 year old asking me how many votes mayoral candidate Gong got? Amazing that kids were also paying attention to this election.https://t.co/x10o1R7sG7

— nam kiwanuka (@namshine)June 27, 2023

Xiao Hua Gong, who won only 0.41 per cent of the actual vote yesterday, earned 21.7 per cent of the student vote — in which 13,000 kids from 126 schools took part — compared to Chow's 23.4 per cent.

And, beyond this stat, residents have been taking to social media to affirm that their kids were very taken by the seemingly random contender.

If our kids were allowed to vote they were 100% going with Gong. They saw the signs. They saw the videos. Our 10 year was actually disappointed to learn Gong didn’t win.

— Like A Dad (@likeadad)June 27, 2023

他的声望和年轻人,虽然不确切ly in earnest, is a testament to the would-be mayor's strategy of staking his claim to all corners of the city with campaign signs.

In recent weeks, it was hard to walk a single block without being greeted by Gong's face and his "Here to rescue Toronto" slogan, which turned him into a butt of a joke, and alsoendless memes.

Just saw two kids getting dressed up as the Gong signs (by tying them around their heads with the eyes cut out)

— Not Bradford! (@NotBradBradford)June 11, 2023

While many criticized the Chinese-Canadian businessman'sheavy-handed advertising, it seemed younger folks actually sought out his signs to steal, keep, and bring to parties, apparently.

played an underground rave in toronto last night and one of those gong signs even made it therepic.twitter.com/NQ52acPCVU

— angelphroot (@angelphroot)June 25, 2023

Theperhaps hundreds of thousands of dollarsGong spent to plaster his image onTTC vehicles, on primeYonge-Dundas Square real estateand what felt likeevery five feetwas enough to pique interest in the character, who it was revealed actuallyhas a shady past of pyramid schemes and fraud.

I haven't been paying attention to the election in Toronto cause I've been in Japan and the Philippines the last month plus

But can someone grab me a Gong sign idk who he is or what is campaign is but the fact that he's everywhere is funny and I want a sign of him

— Statiic @ (Day 27) (@StatiicOW)June 27, 2023

With far more Gong election posters than actual votes for Gong,some joke thatthe city should actually just leave the candidate's billboards up as an art installation of sorts to commemmorate his now-iconic and desperate bid to become our next mayor.