Get Your Vote On!
Here is an interesting email that my friend Zoë Caron forwarded all over the place before the elections:
“FACT: in 2004 only 25% of 18-24 year old voted.
I’ve been asking a lot of people if they’re going to vote Monday – Peoplec said “No” for the following reasons – and by the end of our conversation,
most had changed their minds.
Here’s why:
1. I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE TO GO TO VOTE.
Check out this site – Scroll down to the bottom right to enter your postal code & it will tell you where to go!
2. I DON’HAVE MY VOTERS CARD – I’M AWAY FROM HOME – I CAN’T VOTE.
Not true! Show up at your poll station (see #1) with valid ID and you can register & vote!!
3. I AM AY TOO BUSY TO BE BOTHERED WITH THIS STUFF.
Voting is pretty quick & easy. The places you go to vote are usually really close by (see #1). You just walk in, give them your ID, and mark an X on the ballot!
4. NO REALLY – I WORK ALL DAY ON MONDAY.
You are legally allowed to leave work for 3 hours (and still get paid in full!!!) to allow you time to go vote (if you do not have 3 hrs before or after your shift within voting times).
Poll times are:
Newfoundland Time 8:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Atlantic Time 8:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Eastern Time 9:30 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Central Time 8:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Mountain Time 7:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Pacific Time 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
5. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE ISSUES ARE.
> Check out Issues Interactive – link at very bottom of this web page.
> Take a quiz on the issues you care about, and be matched up with the
party that shares your views!!
7. I DON’T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT THE DIFFERENT PARTIES/GROUPS.
> Cheat sheet to what the parties are about & their full platforms:
> Compare your local candidates and prime-minister candidates here:
8. ALL I KNOW IS WHO I DON’T WANT TO WIN.
Then you should vote for the party with the best chance of beating that party in your own riding.
(Ex: Many people I’ve spoken to don’t want Mr. Harper (Conservatives) running the country, so they will vote for NDP, Liberal or whatever party has the best chance of beating the conservative person in their area. See www.thinktwicecanada.ca)
8. MY VOTE MAKES NO DIFFERENCE WHAT-SO-EVER.
The party you vote for gets $$$ for each vote they get!! The more $$$ they have, the better they can campaign and strengthen their group!!
9. I JUST DON’T CARE.
> ex: I personally care about about the threat to abortion rights, increased canada military action with the US, losses to the unviersal healthcare we all use, the threat to childcare, lack of attention to the environment/pollution laws, loss of the Kyoto protocol (greenhouse gas regulations), re-opening the Charter of Rights, negative effects on Aboriginal rights, increases in tuition/debt load, and I want our voting system to change – So, I am voting against Stephen Harper (Conservatives).
> What do you care about?? Decide what you care about (see issues, #5) and think of how each party will affect that – then vote accordingly.
> “Just because you don’t take an interest in politics does not mean that
politics doesn’t take an interest in you” – Socrates
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In 2004 only 25% of 18-25 yr olds voted.
Think of the 100′s of thousands of us in universities/colleges alone, and how
much power there is in numbers. This election depends on us!!!!
Imagine if all of us voted. Imagine if we shifted the vote.
It’s easy to do – VOTE MONDAY JAN.23!!!!”