One of the better things about living in Canada is that Elections Canada understands that voting is a right.
Every adult citizen must have an opportunity to cast their ballot. That means we make voting as easy and painless as possible.
You can vote by mail. You can vote early at an Elections Canada office. You can vote in four days of advance polls. There are special polling stations set up for people who can't easily get to the regular polls 鈥� and that includes in prisons, because committing a crime does not strip you of your citizenship.
When we do get to the polls, for most of us, lines are relatively short and the process is simple. There will always be problems, of course, when we're talking about thousands of polling stations across 343 electoral districts. But the goal is always to provide every voter an opportunity to make their voice heard.
So then why do so many people refuse to take part in the electoral process?
In the 2021 federal election, turnout was 62.6 per cent. It hasn't been above 70 per cent since 1992.
This year, we should see an uptick in voter turnout.
As you may have heard, there's a lot on the line this time. The United States has launched tariffs and the president is openly musing about annexing our entire country. Stock markets are jumpy, and we may be facing a recession.
On top of these new fears, we have the issues that were top of mind before the U.S. election 鈥� housing, health care, defence, the environment, and the cost of living.
If you're reading this, you're likely already planning to vote. But reach out to your non-voting family, friends, and neighbours. Ask them about what their fears and hopes for the future of Canada.
See if you can convince them to look at the parties, the leaders, and the local candidates, and discover if one of them exemplifies what they want Canada to be. Or if there's a candidate or party they find so awful they will vote for anyone who can beat them.
Democracy can be messy that way, but whether it's idealism or cynicism, party loyalty or strategic voting, it works better when more people take part and cast their ballots.
