It's election time in Canada, again. Go vote!
So back in October of 2019, Canada re-elected Justin Trudeau as Prime Minister; however, with a minority (as in winning the most seats but not enough to cross the 170-seat majority threshold). Having a minority government means having to work with the other parties in order to get bills passed. If the opposition parties all vote against the ruling party on let's say the budget then it's off to an election.
But that's not the case here.
With the election that's gonna be happening September 20, 2021, what we have is a snap election, which basically can be called at any time, and usually when there's a chance that the election will give the ruling party a majority if not more seats. Considering that we're in the midst of a pandemic it'd be great if the election were held when it's supposed to (assuming pandemic is over by then) in October 2023 I believe, but that's not usually up to us but the people we elect.
So wait? What's the point of this?
My initial ramblings aside, my message here as with my previous one from the previous election time message is more or less the same:
GO VOTE IN THE ELECTION!
Why should you? It's so we don't have a worse situation than we have now. Also, if millennials and gen z combined make up the largest voting block, they have the power to turn the tide. Also, we're stuck with a first past the post system where if the vote is split between the Liberals and Conservatives in your riding, and one of the parties wins with not even 50% of eligible voters, that candidate for that party will win even though the rest of eligible voters who voted did not want them to win.
Think of being a group of 6 people ordering 1 pizza with a choice between pepperoni and plain cheese, 4/6 people are vegetarian, and out of the 4 vegetarians only one votes for the cheese while the other 3 don't care because they're not eating pizza. In the end, the group ends up ordering pepperoni and vegetarian who wanted pizza doesn't get any because they don't eat meat. The most sensible solution would be to order both the pepperoni and the cheese pizza, but that would only happen if we had proportional representation. So, if you want to have cheese pizza, which everyone can eat, make sure to vote or else you get no pizza.
Whom should I vote for?
If you have no idea which party to vote for, I suggest using the vote compass. All you do is answer questions and based on where you stand on certain issues you will be matched with a party that closely aligns to your values. It's quicker than reading each individual platform for Liberal, New Democrats (NDP), Conservative, People's Party of Canada (PPC), and Green (and certain parties like Bloc Quebecois and the newly-formed Maverick are regional parties you can ignore if they're not running in your area).
If it's your first time voting, I suggest not going with the candidate your parents are voting for unless you too also agree with that candidate. If you're voting as a new Canadian for the first time, I don't think I need to convince you to vote but definitely do take the time to see where you stand in relation to our political parties.
Regarless whether it's your 1st or 10th election you've participated in, keep in mind vote splitting. Think back to the pizzas and this time a group of 7 with 3 options instead of 2. Three people want pepperoni, 2 want cheese, and 2 want veggie deluxe. Because you have 2 people wanting the veggie deluxe instead of cheese, pepperoni still wins. It's risky to split the vote especially if you're left-leaning and don't want the right-leaning candidate to win, but who knows? You may have more than 1 right-leaning candidate and that might split votes as well.
Now that I know whom I'm voting for, how do I vote for them? I also don't want to catch/spread COVID-19
Polling stations will still be a thing, and you can vote there on advanced polling days, or on election day. You can also vote in advance at your riding's elections office up until voting day.
Can't get to the polls? Don't want the hassle of putting on a mask? Maybe you have COVID-19 and don't want to infect others? Maybe you don't want to catch it and spread it to others? Sign up for a mail-in ballot. All you need is a scanned piece of ID, the form filled out online, and within a week you'll get a small package of your ballot, instructions, and a few envelopes.
To find out things like where your polling stations are located, who your candidates are in your riding (and even what your riding is), the Elections Canada site is your place to go. It definitely has all the info you need for this and any future elections.
So, whether you like how the Liberals are handling the country or you want to see some change by voting for another party, just get out there and vote! You still have a voice and a vote in the election is one way to express yourself. Keep in mind that when you vote, vote wisely.