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Canada Votes 2025 - Part II
Apr. 3rd, 2025 09:45 amPart II - Why Vote?
As outlined in my first post, many Canadians from marginalized groups were excluded from voting until fairly recently. In Canada, voting is not just a right; it’s a responsibility and a privilege. As Canadians, our voting process is more inclusive and has fewer barriers than ever. There are multiple ways to vote; from mail-in ballots, to advanced voting, to tactile voting templates. Some jurisdictions even allow voting over the phone.
Despite this, voter turn-out has remained somewhat low throughout Canadian history. The data on voter turn-out has been unreliable until recently, but in general, only 55 to 70% of registered voters actually cast a ballot in Canada. The voter turn-out rate for the 2021 federal election was 62%, with only 46% of Canadians aged 18-24 casting a ballot.
I’m sure there are many reasons why our voter turn-out is this low. For some, barriers to voting may still exist. Some people may be unable to get to a poling station or have an elections officer visit them at a hospital, nursing home or other facility. Some people with disabilities may not realize voting is accessible. There are probably other reasons I am not thinking about as well.
But the main reason people don’t vote seems to be that they don’t think their vote will make a difference, so voting is not worth the effort. With over twenty-seven million people registered to vote in Canada in 343 ridings, I can see why they would think this. However, I believe every vote does count, and I have evidence to prove it.
In the 2024 BC provincial election, my local member of legislative assembly [MLA] won my riding by less than a hundred votes. Other ridings were much closer, including Kelowna Centre, and Surrey Guildford, where MLA Garry Begg won his seat by only 27 votes. While not every election has such close results, you never know how they will turn out. Right now, the polls are predicting the liberal party are slightly ahead of the conservatives. However, it’s worth noting that numbers vary between polls and some people are questioning the accuracy of polls in general. Given these facts, I think it’s safe to assume that this year’s federal election will be a close one.
It’s going to be a close election because Canadians are politically divided right now. The gap between the liberal and conservative supporters, and the political left and right, seems to be getting larger each day. I’ve noticed that people are still as friendly as ever when engaging in small talk, but a conversation about politics can quickly become a heated debate. There are people in my own family who have lost friends due to differences in political opinion. Right now I feel the election essentially comes down to Mark Kearney, our current prime minister and leader of the liberal party, and Pierre Polievre, leader of the conservative party. While the NDP and the Block do have their supporters, I highly doubt either party will get more than a handful of seats.
Whoever becomes our next prime minister will have to lead our country through an unstable time, nationally and globally. Nationally, problems include the ongoing trade war with the US, rising inflation, lack of affordable housing, high rates of crime and drug overdose, and climate change. Other countries are dealing with the same or similar issues, not to mention the conflicts between Russia and Ukraine, and Israel and Palestine.
So who do we want leading our country through this time of crisis? Will Kearney’s experience as the governor of the bank of Canada and the bank of England give him the expertise to lead us? Do you think that Pierre Polievre’s commitment to cut taxes and lower government spending will strengthen Canada’s economy so we are better able to withstand the pressures of a trade war? Should we continue the corporate carbon tax to punish big polluters, or should we scrap the carbon tax all together to put more money in consumer’s and businesses pockets? Which party, and leader, will help fix the overwhelmed and understaffed health care system? Which party’s approach to crime is more effective?
I can’t answer any of those questions. To do that, you need to take the time to do your own research. Look up each party and its policies. Find out what each political party has promised to do if they win the election, and decide whether those promises mean anything. Find out who your local candidates are and meet them if you can. They will be representing you in parliament. If you want to and have the time, get involved with the political party that is the best fit for your values. Buy a party membership or volunteer if you’re able.
But most importantly, you’ve got to get out there and vote. Voting is the easiest, most effective way for your voice to be heard. Whether you care about politics or not, whether you want to get involved or not, I think every Canadian should have their say in deciding Canada’s next prime minister. We are experiencing a lot of conflict and economic instability right now, and whoever we select as our next prime minister will decide how Canada responds to it.
References
“Voter Turnout at Federal Elections and Referendums” https://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=ele&dir=turn&document=index&lang=e
“Canada's Federal Electoral Districts” https://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=res&dir=cir/red/343list&document=index&lang=e
Event night reporting for 2024 BC provincial election https://electionsbcenr.blob.core.windows.net/electionsbcenr/Results_7097_GE-2024-10-19_Candidate.html
Canada Poll Tracker https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/elections/poll-tracker/canada/
“What the polls might be missing in the 2025 federal election” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WU8ko02-jxE
“Signs the polls may be WRONG” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pspTGmYSFTY
As outlined in my first post, many Canadians from marginalized groups were excluded from voting until fairly recently. In Canada, voting is not just a right; it’s a responsibility and a privilege. As Canadians, our voting process is more inclusive and has fewer barriers than ever. There are multiple ways to vote; from mail-in ballots, to advanced voting, to tactile voting templates. Some jurisdictions even allow voting over the phone.
Despite this, voter turn-out has remained somewhat low throughout Canadian history. The data on voter turn-out has been unreliable until recently, but in general, only 55 to 70% of registered voters actually cast a ballot in Canada. The voter turn-out rate for the 2021 federal election was 62%, with only 46% of Canadians aged 18-24 casting a ballot.
I’m sure there are many reasons why our voter turn-out is this low. For some, barriers to voting may still exist. Some people may be unable to get to a poling station or have an elections officer visit them at a hospital, nursing home or other facility. Some people with disabilities may not realize voting is accessible. There are probably other reasons I am not thinking about as well.
But the main reason people don’t vote seems to be that they don’t think their vote will make a difference, so voting is not worth the effort. With over twenty-seven million people registered to vote in Canada in 343 ridings, I can see why they would think this. However, I believe every vote does count, and I have evidence to prove it.
In the 2024 BC provincial election, my local member of legislative assembly [MLA] won my riding by less than a hundred votes. Other ridings were much closer, including Kelowna Centre, and Surrey Guildford, where MLA Garry Begg won his seat by only 27 votes. While not every election has such close results, you never know how they will turn out. Right now, the polls are predicting the liberal party are slightly ahead of the conservatives. However, it’s worth noting that numbers vary between polls and some people are questioning the accuracy of polls in general. Given these facts, I think it’s safe to assume that this year’s federal election will be a close one.
It’s going to be a close election because Canadians are politically divided right now. The gap between the liberal and conservative supporters, and the political left and right, seems to be getting larger each day. I’ve noticed that people are still as friendly as ever when engaging in small talk, but a conversation about politics can quickly become a heated debate. There are people in my own family who have lost friends due to differences in political opinion. Right now I feel the election essentially comes down to Mark Kearney, our current prime minister and leader of the liberal party, and Pierre Polievre, leader of the conservative party. While the NDP and the Block do have their supporters, I highly doubt either party will get more than a handful of seats.
Whoever becomes our next prime minister will have to lead our country through an unstable time, nationally and globally. Nationally, problems include the ongoing trade war with the US, rising inflation, lack of affordable housing, high rates of crime and drug overdose, and climate change. Other countries are dealing with the same or similar issues, not to mention the conflicts between Russia and Ukraine, and Israel and Palestine.
So who do we want leading our country through this time of crisis? Will Kearney’s experience as the governor of the bank of Canada and the bank of England give him the expertise to lead us? Do you think that Pierre Polievre’s commitment to cut taxes and lower government spending will strengthen Canada’s economy so we are better able to withstand the pressures of a trade war? Should we continue the corporate carbon tax to punish big polluters, or should we scrap the carbon tax all together to put more money in consumer’s and businesses pockets? Which party, and leader, will help fix the overwhelmed and understaffed health care system? Which party’s approach to crime is more effective?
I can’t answer any of those questions. To do that, you need to take the time to do your own research. Look up each party and its policies. Find out what each political party has promised to do if they win the election, and decide whether those promises mean anything. Find out who your local candidates are and meet them if you can. They will be representing you in parliament. If you want to and have the time, get involved with the political party that is the best fit for your values. Buy a party membership or volunteer if you’re able.
But most importantly, you’ve got to get out there and vote. Voting is the easiest, most effective way for your voice to be heard. Whether you care about politics or not, whether you want to get involved or not, I think every Canadian should have their say in deciding Canada’s next prime minister. We are experiencing a lot of conflict and economic instability right now, and whoever we select as our next prime minister will decide how Canada responds to it.
References
“Voter Turnout at Federal Elections and Referendums” https://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=ele&dir=turn&document=index&lang=e
“Canada's Federal Electoral Districts” https://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=res&dir=cir/red/343list&document=index&lang=e
Event night reporting for 2024 BC provincial election https://electionsbcenr.blob.core.windows.net/electionsbcenr/Results_7097_GE-2024-10-19_Candidate.html
Canada Poll Tracker https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/elections/poll-tracker/canada/
“What the polls might be missing in the 2025 federal election” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WU8ko02-jxE
“Signs the polls may be WRONG” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pspTGmYSFTY
