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

[simplisticton.livejournal.com]

How about this: when you file your taxes, there's a box you tick if you want the CCRA to share your information with Elections Canada*. How about if there was another box which you could tick if you wanted a $50 rebate added to your taxes if you voted? (You need to include a receipt you get when you actually vote, of course).

*nice in theory, but it doesn't appear to work. I got a "If you haven't received your voter card, contact Elections Canada immediately" card the same day I got my tax package. I hadn't got my voter card; turns out they had my old addres...

[simplisticton.livejournal.com]

I forgot to say... they need to make voting *much* easier. You should be able to vote on-line, over the phone, on your TV, at your workplace, and at the mall. That would cover just about everyone. Also, on election day, they should have thousands of volunteers running around asking people if they'd voted if and if not, why not.

[cap-hill-latte.livejournal.com]

[dusts off argument made against P. Diddy’s campaign to increase voter turn out in the 2004 US elections]

I disagree with the “more people should vote” argument. I’d rather see the people who do vote spend more time thinking critically about their vote. I’ve declined to vote in elections when I’ve felt that I don’t know enough about any party to vote for them.* I suppose that I could have spoiled my ballot instead.** But I see a spoiled ballot as a vote against a party or system – it’s not the fault of the parties or the system that I didn’t bother learning about my options. I’d much, much rather see the turnout rate at the polls stay at 60% than add millions of votes for whichever party’s latest television campaign resonated most with non-critical thinkers.

*Ironically, only when I lived in Canada, I’ve been much better informed about politics since I emigrated.

**I wonder if the green sparkly pen I used to address the envelope will spoil this year’s ballot. :-).

[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.

[momma2jbsm.livejournal.com]

I voted on Friday, so I did my duty.

And, quite frankly, I don't know why more people vote either. Some people in other countries would kill for the chance to be able to vote! :o(

[saviolo.livejournal.com]

Low voter turnout could be worse... our last election had a record low turnout of 61%, and the last US election had a record low turnout of 30%. And they're allegedly the most powerful democracy in the world... okay.

I'm not saying it's a good thing, or anything, It is a bad thing, but it could be lots worse.

[primary-suspect.livejournal.com]

There may be 14 different registered parties but it all depends on who is running in your riding. There are less candidates in my riding this year than before. We just have the choice between Conservative, Green, Liberal, and NPD. Not even an independent or Marijuana candidate this time.

But yeah, I don't know why more people just don't go out and vote. If all those people that think their vote won't make a difference, made a choice, it probably would make a difference.