Do You Bother To Vote? Which Parties Do You Endorse?

... do you bother to vote in elections? i don't vote and i could write a hundred-page essay about why i don't. in a nutshell, i don't vote because i feel it's immoral and pointless and doesn't generate change of any kind ...

... but what about YOU? do you cast a ballot come elections time? and if so, which parties do you vote for, either federally and provincially or municipally? and why do you like them?

... comments?

 

I vote in every election. I vote for KRELM.

 

... hi Bine! thanks for your reply!

... please forgive my ignorance, but what does KRELM stand for?

 

I never heard anyone say that they feel voting is immoral. Why do you feel that way? I can see why you may feel it is pointless and doesn't generate change.

I do vote in elections. However, I am not satisfied with the current, plurality electoral system. It is too susceptible to vote splitting and encourages block voting.

I would prefer a range voting system, but I don't see any type of electoral reform happening anytime soon.

 

... hi Stuntman! thank you for taking the time to write your excellent comment!

... why do I feel voting is immoral? simple really. the government is involved in activities that i view as morally wrong; things i'd even describe as downright evil. undertakings like punishing us with onerous taxation, trafficking humans in the justice system and waging war in foreign countries. the government is basically a criminal organization and, as such, in my view it's wrong to endorse it by voting for politicians ...

 

the mechanic,

Krelm is my Shop Steward - Ron Krelm. He is a good guy that stands up for us.

 

We as citizens do have some ability to choose who governs. If anything, we get to oust the sitting government.

 

... yes you do, if the electorate is sufficiently unified and a few other key factors are in place ...

 

I always vote in the federal and the provincial elections, and usually vote in the various lower-level elections.

I almost always vote for the NDP, as their more progressive, left-leaning policies most closely match my own political stances. (I could see myself voting for a Liberal, Green, or independent candidate under the right conditions--namely to defeat a Conservative candidate. I would never vote for a Conservative candidate.)


I don't really buy most non-voters' arguments as to why they don't vote.

In the case of those who don't vote out of apathy, I'm surprised that there isn't at least one issue of sufficient importance to motivate them to vote.

In the case of those who don't vote out of protest, I challenge the notion that all of the parties are fundamentally the same and that it doesn't matter who wins. There are clear differences between the parties to the point that one should be able to judge which party they would rather have win. I.e. At the very least one party is the lesser evil.

Given that many of those who don't vote for either reason generally tend to be younger and more progressive, whereas the older and less progressive demographics generally do consistently vote: not voting as such only helps ensure the (re-)election of the least desirable candidates, especially under our antiquated first-past-the-system that yields shocking discrepancies between votes cast and seats won. Not voting as such is self-defeating to the extreme.

If voting is an insufficient agent of change to someone, then they should go beyond voting alone to protest and fight for greater change. (Greater change that should, among other things, include incorporating some level of proportional representation into our system.)

 

... sounds like you are on the pro-voting side. you made some great points. thanks for taking the time to share your opinion!

 

I make it a point in every election I am eligible to vote in. Next year, I am voting Sponge Bob Square Pants for president of the United States in November 2016.

 

I don't bother to vote, politics is the game of upper class, nothing to do with me.

 

... good for you, maple leaf. i agree with you ...