Wrong country, but still true

[soleta_nf]

I voted!

Canadians: Remember to vote! Also remember to bring ID with your correct address on it (or a bill with your name and address), as that's messing some people up at the polls today.

If you don't vote, you can't complain!

Comments

[newnumber6]

If you don't vote, you can't complain!

I hate that phrase. It actually makes me _less_ likely to vote.

[soleta_nf]

Seriously? I really believe it.

Edit: This is how I phrased it on Facebook: "Vote, or don't you DARE complain!" :)

[newnumber6]

But there's no real connection. In most cases (aside from a few ridings) a single vote really doesn't affect the outcome one bit. Whereas complaining can actually alter viewpoints and affect change

[soleta_nf]

From my point of view, voting isn't that hard. It's a basic duty that everyone should exercise. I would prefer it that were enforced, actually, like they do in Australia (I think they have a fine system there). I fully support people spoiling their ballot or rejecting their ballot if they don't feel like any of the choices given. But I think it's really really lazy and ludicrous not to vote.

I have a number of friends who don't vote, and many of them make political arguments. They do have a point. I think their main argument is that by voting they endorse the political system as it is set up, and if enough people don't vote, the politicians will have to change the system eventually. My response is that, no, politicians will assume you're lazy and as long as the system benefits them, they won't care. This is where spoiling your ballot or rejecting your ballot could be really powerful - imagine if one election we had the highest voter turnout ever, and a majority of voters rejected their ballots!

[soleta_nf]

Definitely not. Though I've convinced a few people to go Green. :) (Which is the best choice in my riding, as much I'd love to vote NDP.)

[misfit87]

Yay! for voting :) I take it that it's not compulsary to vote in Canada either like the U.S. so I'm glad to hear you voted not that i thought you would be the type not too lol :P Here in Australia in case you didn't know, we have to vote and i have no problem about that :)

If you don't vote, you can't complain!
Haha that's pretty damn true :P

[soleta_nf]

I like Australia's system and wish we would adopt it here! So many people don't bother to vote. It's quite sad. :(

[maidenmorticia]

Kind of bizzare choice for an icon... where's the Canadian flag?!

[soleta_nf]

Hence the title. ;) I don't have icon-making powers, and this was the lone 'I voted' icon in my LJ arsenal. *sniff*

[anonymous]

Woot! What newnumber6 said! *Excited to not be the only one.*

IMO, if you spoil the ballot, the message you send is "I endorse the electoral system, but I am too dumb to figure out this voting thing." I acknowledge that if you abstain the immediate message might be "I'm apathetic", but if enough people abstain, because the *legitimacy* of the government flows from the electorate, then the system *must* be reformed. I don't know how anyone can see this kind of result and think "yeah, first past the post works."

I also get really snippy when people use the phrase "if you don't vote, you can't complain." Indeed I can. I can also be neither with you nor against you. I'm nuanced that way.

Some good results, though! Much less of a disaster than it could have been.

- Cyn

[soleta_nf]

Well, in all fairness to your position, NDPers are on CBC right now talking about how the historically low turnout means that Canada and the NDP really need to consider proportional representation. So they seem to think that particular argument is strong.

[anonymous]

Yeah, the CBC pundits (Kathleen Petty, Michael Enright, others) talked about that even before they started interviewing politicians, just because of how the popular vote was running. So it's not even just those who would benefit directly from reform who think the system is... not ideal. I would actually vote then.

- Cyn