Democracy

[tvordlj]

I was reading about the European Parliament elections this week where they're hoping the voter turnout surpasses the previous 45% or so. We have a provincial election next week. Not sure what our voter turnout was last time but I don't suppose it was much higher than about 60%. Our municipal elections certainly weren't any higher and by-elections historically only hit about 30%. I always vote in any election. I think the only time i didn't was when i absolutely could not decide. The candidate i liked represented the party i wouldn't touch with a bargepole and the candidate for the party i would have chosen was one i didn't like.

But there's so much apathy out there about voting, especially among younger people who say they can't be bothered, nothing is going to change and their vote isn't going to count anyway. So wrong! How can anything change if you don't vote? If all those people that say their vote doesn't count actually got out and voted, boy would it ever change things! Then i read that this is the 20th anniversary of  the confrontation in Tianamen Square in China. Those people don't get the choice. There are lots of countries that either don't have a chance to vote at all or are pressured or coerced into voting for a corrupt government. We are very lucky to have free choice. We can vote for whomever we want to and won't be punished for our choices.

Women, especially... that's another reason why I make sure to vote. Women have only been able to vote for about 120 years at most. New Zealand was apparently the first to give women the vote in 1893. Women fought long and hard to be able to vote and I think it's important to remember that.

Sometimes it's difficult to decide who to vote for when you don't see that there's any suitable candidate, or suitable party that matches your own ideals and beliefs. People get disillusioned by the results of a government's policies, they see things getting worse, not better. Sometimes the party you vote for hasn't got a chance in hell of winning even a seat let along the election. Even so, it still means you've registered your opinion and exercised your right to choose. If the people in power are sucking your country/province/city dry, then try to get someone else in there that might have a chance of changing things, things that definitely will not change if you do nothing.

Comments

[blueberrymoon.livejournal.com]

I tend to vote for the best person for the job. To have good people representing me.

[tvor.livejournal.com]

I can't vote for someone that might be really good if i really can't go along with the party's policies. A good person representing me is still restricted to how the party's bills and policies and in most cases they have to vote the party line. Not so bad in municipal where parties aren't involved.

[nancy-j.livejournal.com]

HEAR! HEAR! Excellent write-up. You are so right...!