Voiceless Voters: A Call to Action for Active Participation in Canadian Democracy
Are you not happy with your current government? Do you use your voice on social media? Do you hope for change but can't be bothered to move you arse from the sofa to the polls? Than do the rest of us a favour, can it? Here in Canada you have a right, a right to use your voice in a kinesthetic way. It gets done only through the act of casting a vote.
If you can vote, that’s a pretty big deal. For a huge chunk of Ontario’s history, only a few, powerful folks had the right to cast their ballot on Election Day. Canada was formed in 1867 and inherited the system of responsible government (before responsible government, the real decision-makers for settler affairs in the British colonies were effectively hanging out in Britain with the Queen). So unless you were a man with property and access to a poll, you had no say in who was representing you. And if you were lucky enough to be this kind of dude, you had to announce your vote publicly until 1874, which is when Canada finally got the secret ballot! Seems legit.
Anyway, after many long years of political organizing, women, Indigenous, and other racialized folks – and most recently in 2002, prisoners – did it: we won our right to vote in settler elections.Finally, we could see our own interests represented and lobbied before the state. But sitting here in 2022, not everyone in Ontario seems as invested as our predecessors were in their right to vote – especially not students. So why were they so eager to participate in a system that was never designed for us?
That is, who cares about having a say in a world that doesn’t seem to even see you?
Voting matters because it is our chance to have a say regarding our political systems and the governmental future of Canada. We vote because we should care about crucial issues facing our community, and exercise our right to have our voices heard.
That strip of paper in your hand with a list of candidates at the poll? The weight of the mini-sized HB pencil as you mark the space next to some familiar name? The announcement over the TV heralding in your new provincial leader? These moments change the decision-makers sitting at Ontario’s long, colonizing table. You cared about something.
In the 2019 federal election, of the 2,772,467 eligible voters in the 18-24 age group, only 53.9% of them voted. That is, 1,278,107 youth votes never made it to the ballot box, or just over 3,000 people per riding. That’s enough to change the outcome of an election, enough to sway how the next few years will go: in this way, the vote is a real thing.
I'm still not sure there’s one and only one perfect answer for why you should vote. What we should all be aware of is that having the ability to vote isn’t a right; it’s a responsibility. In choosing not to vote you’re effectively saying you have the privilege to handle the outcomes of an election regardless of who is elected. Unfortunately, not all Ontarians can say the same as each party has policies and long-term visions that can significantly disrupt our lives.
Here are some facts if the former wasn't enough to sway you:
Canada, built on the principles of democracy and liberty, offers its citizens a precious right: the right to vote. However, despite this privilege, many individuals choose to stay silent during elections, only to lament the state of affairs in the country afterward. This essay argues that complaining about the current state of Canada is unjustified if one refrains from voting, as voting is not simply a right, but also a responsibility. To uphold the democratic values upon which Canada is founded, it is imperative that citizens actively engage in the electoral process, shaping the future they desire by casting their ballots.
Elections enable representation and collective decision-making at various levels, from local municipalities to the federal government. By casting one's vote, individuals have the power to choose the elected representatives who will advocate for policies that align with their interests. Without active participation, citizens abdicate their ability to influence the political landscape, leaving their voices unheard and struggles unaddressed. By refusing to vote, individuals passively relinquish the opportunity to shape their own destinies, making their complaints about the current state of Canada unfounded and invalid.
The act of voting not only shapes the present but also strengthens the democratic foundations of Canada for the future. A healthy democracy demands public involvement and participation. Apathy or disillusionment with politicians or policies does not absolve one from responsibility. Apathy only perpetuates a cycle of disempowerment and further discourages individuals from engaging in the democratic process. Rather than complain, citizens should seize the opportunity to push for change by casting their vote, encouraging the political discourse, and contributing to an inclusive and transparent governance system.
The absence of an individual's vote deprives Canada of diverse perspectives and opinions. Each voter, regardless of their political affiliation or ideology, contributes to the collective mosaic that forms the Canadian political landscape. Choosing to sit out an election undermines the multifaceted nature of democracy, where the blending of ideas and perspectives leads to more robust decision-making processes and policies. By abstaining from voting, one risks perpetuating a lack of diverse representation among elected officials and stifles the chance for positive change to address or rectify societal issues.
Complaining about the current state of Canada without actively exercising the right to vote is a paradoxical stance. Voting is not just an individual's right, but also a critical component of active citizenship in a democracy. It is an opportunity for each citizen to contribute to shaping the country's future and upholding the democratic values that define Canada. By casting their ballots, citizens can transform their complaints into impactful actions, fostering an engaged society where their voices are heard, represented, and policies adjusted to reflect the collective will of the people.
Complain. But you better make sure that you really invest in – really, divest from – your role as colonizer and become an accountable-active participant in the history you’re miraculously witnessing and surviving first. Apathy due to uninterest in politics may be totally understandable if your care is as short reaching as your door. Discourse and nasty threads on social holds the power to make the strongest of us cringe. Especially under the weight of buzz words and personal insults. But not giving a shit about your neighbour, the poor, the struggling single mother down the street, that child that heavily relies on the threatened erasure of an autism program? ? A bit tougher for me to swallow.
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