Do you know who you will be voting for on October 26 in the Saskatchewan election?
I irrationally used to disdain people who did not know.
Why was I irrational?
They were taking time to consider the candidates and I was not.
I also disdained people who did not vote. This too makes me irrational.
Our first-past-the-post system works when there are two candidates, as the winner must receive a majority of votes. With three or more candidates, the majority of voters can (and do) waste their time casting ballots.
(I have also voted strategically which makes me more irrational. I voted for what I did not want because I believed the candidate I wanted would not win.)
Why have I voted?
Because I believed the myth that all I needed to do to create and maintain a vibrant democracy is to take the time to cast an occasional vote.
So, why vote this time?
I'm making the time to vote to add yet more evidence that our electoral system is broken.
It is the time before the next election that I urge all of us to leverage.
I'll continue working with Fair Vote Canada for electoral reform. Countries using proportional representation have risen to the top for voter turnout, women and visible minorities in government, income equality, strong economies, and, my priority, climate action. Proportional representation has improved their democracy.
What will you do with your time before our next vote to improve our democracy?
-- Nancy Carswell
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
