The most talked about vote
I have struggled a bit with what to write about first. Considering the pending Canadian federal election scheduled for May 2, 2011, I thought I would take a moment to discuss a lingering topic. The young people do not vote. It annoys me more every time I read it or hear it articulated. I have a simple answer in the form of a scenario. If a company advertises a product that does not sell, does the company blame the buyer? No. The company changes the item so that it appeals to the buyer — the same principle applies here.
The demographic in question are of the ages 18-24. A common answer which I have observed from young voters is that they do not relate to the members of Parliament. In addition to this disconnect, the presence of women and multicultural representation is still lagging. All around, their interests are not being addressed nor are the members of Parliament effectively making efforts to appeal to get their vote.
A common critique made by the older generation is that the demographic is too occupied with blackberries and iPhones to replace their techy device with an electoral ballot for a few moments of their time. We are far too interested in technology to stop and look around at our community. Let’s pause for a second – Did we create this environment? … Does a baby put together its own crib? I find it puzzling, again, that we are critiqued for existing in an environment that they created for us.
I do however believe that the reason young adults are not presently voting has a bit to do with the above and a lot to do with a yet mentioned variable. Canadian society has changed dramatically over a short period. For example, prior to 1968 there was no federal divorce law in Canada. The 1968 Divorce Act required that a couple proceed to Trial with a final decision made by a Judge. Currently, it is as simple as filling out forms signed by the couple and a notary which is then filed with the Court. The underlying variable is that the idea of tradition has weakened. Tradition used to compel marriages to stay together, used to compel people to go to church and used to compel a greater engagement in societal relations. As time has evolved, individual freedom seems to have cultivated to produce a higher divorce rate, decreasing attendance at church and less of a focus on societal relations. Aha! Voting is a traditional form a societal relations which is slipping with the times. The older generation still votes at a higher rate as this tradition is still embedded in their habits. I firmly believe that the lack of votes from this demographic has much more to do with being a product of its time.
I also believe that a political party/politician’s platform should be easier to get access to. I think many people would benefit from one (neutral) website that describes political party ideologies along with candidate platforms. This would be a lot easier for the regular folk who do not follow politics regularly but would like to make a quick and accurate choice, come election time.
At the end of the day, either the Conservative or Liberals will win or we will have a minority government once again.
Happy voting everyone.
