How important is your vote to you?

[c9]

40% of Canadians don't vote. That really bugs me. I don't understand how someone can not care enough to vote. Especially since there are so many options other than voting for the major parties, who are -- let's be honest -- awfully similar in many ways.

There are 14 different registered political parties, and 1604 different people running for office. Considering the fact that Liberal, Tory and NDP candidates make up only 924 of those, there's gotta be somebody you agree with. Additionally, you can spoil your ballot, or formally decline your ballot at the polling station. Both of these are actually counted. Imagine what would happen if more people spolled their ballot than voted for Stephen Harper? It could happen, if those 40% got off their asses.

Some people really think voting is important, and I like that. Check this out:

Thousands of dollars later, new Canadians can now vote
CBC News

A Nigerian-born man who spent thousands of dollars to rush his citizenship process so he could vote in the election says all Canadians should take their democratic role as seriously as he does.

"Make it meaningful," said Fola Soboyejo after his citizenship ceremony in Edmonton. "Contribute to nation building, contribute to civil society, because the alternative is brutal."

Soboyejo and his wife Titilope spent thousands of dollars to travel from Yellowknife to Edmonton so they and their children could become citizens.

The Nigerian-born family lives in Yellowknife, but its citizenship court is only held once a year, on July 1.

$886+taxes+fees right now to fly from Yellowknife to Edmonton. How many of you would still vote if it cost you $4.99?

In Australia voting is mandatory. A coworker of mine thinks we should pay people to vote in order to improve turnout. Both strike me as a way to get people who don't care to simply not care inside the polling station too. But I don't know what could be done to make voting more popular.

Comments

[gueny.livejournal.com]

I don't want people who don't care, to vote. Let the informed people, who have an interest, be the ones who decide who will run the country. They will be in a far better position to make good decisions.

[c9.livejournal.com]

I do agree that the votes that happen should be informed and not just "Fifty Cent told me to!"

But it bothers me that Paul Martin got into power last time based on just 22.2% of the electorate's opinion (37% of the votes). I wish there was a way to increase turn out (and thereby make the system more representative) and still keep it intelligent.

[gueny.livejournal.com]

The focus should be on getting people to care, so then they vote.

Forcing people to vote or offering monetary incentives will only lead to Prime Minister Don Cherry.

[c9.livejournal.com]

Good point.

So it comes back to the age old question: how to make people give a hoot.

[simplisticton.livejournal.com]

When I was in school, political science was a senior elective in high school that people took 'cos it was a bird course. Earlier exposure to current political debate in school was limited to knowing who the sitting Premier of the province and Prime Minister were. The rest of Social Studies was memorizing outlines on a map and dates and reading about explorers and kings and "cool" stuff that kids are interested in (except that they're not, but that's what grade school social studies textbook writers think kids are interested in).

I say staring in at least junior high (or I guess it's middle school now), at election time (federal and provincial), Social Studies classes should be devoted to researching and discussing the issues. Students should be encouraged to debate positions and think critically about what they're being told by the media and the politicians.

Kids are smart, and if you take the time to explain things, they'll understand. When they spend their formative years being condescended to by adults, they turn into adults that need to be condescended to.

[whobunkyboo.livejournal.com]

Especially since, as a convicted felon, Fiddy probably can't vote in his home state.