Why Bother Voting?
I live in the Vancouver-East riding which has voted NDP for 19/21 federal elections since 1930. The incumbent, Libby Davis, won the last election by a margin of 30%. In this working-class riding, there’s really no reason to think anyone else has a chance to beat her (especially with the Liberal backlash and a no-name Conservative candidate).
I am debating whether to even vote this Monday. I don’t even need to give away my political leanings to make my case. If I was an NDP supporter, I’m confident my candidate will win. If I’m not… well, what’s the point?
Sure, there are reasons to vote (if everyone felt that way… the previous generations gave their blood… etc), but are any of them pragmatic in this case? Is it worth even 30 minutes of my time to exercise my democratic right?
Now, if someone could make something like STV understandable for the masses, the voter turnout would undoubtedly increase.
January 23rd, 2006 at 6:35 pm
Oh, this is the type of comment that makes me sad, mainly because I have no real argument for it. You’re right; why bother in your situation (or for that matter, in Van Centre, where you have a choice between “hot fingers” Svend or “everyone’s racist but me” Hedy) when you can pretty much guarantee the outcome?
It’s just that it seems so… so wrong. I hope you wasted the 30 minutes anyway, even though I know it would have been much more meaningful to play with Shula or something.
January 23rd, 2006 at 6:44 pm
You’ll be happy to know that I did vote. And, it actually took more like 5 minutes (it took longer to walk to the voting station from the car than it did to vote!).
See? I do care.
January 24th, 2006 at 6:50 am
Well, of course it is easy to come up with reasons not to vote on an individual pragmatic level, but in the end I always vote because I can. The thought of living somewhere where I wouldn’t have that possibility is scary enough to make spending 30 mins performing my democratic duty an easy choice.
January 27th, 2006 at 9:15 pm
I didn’t vote. I didn’t have the energy to file for absentee ballot…And because of the timing of the election I’m not sure I could have anyway…