May 18, 2013

The Importance of Being Earnest about Voting




British Columbia is known to the rest of the country for three things, mainly: wonderful wilderness, wacky tobacky (marijuana growing and consuming), and wacky politics. We even had a premier back in the 1950's whom everyone called Wacky Bennett and seem always to be dealing with some scandal, fiasco or nail-biting bi-election. We had yet another full-on demonstration of the wackiness of our politics this week, in that, despite polls all pointing to a majority government being formed by one party, when it came down to it, not only did the far-ahead-in-the-polls government lose the election, they even lost several seats in the legislature to candidates from the opposing party. Everyone shook their heads at the result, even the winning party themselves couldn't believe it, and the next day, every type of media available was attempting to unravel the mystery of the Bizarre Provincial Election of 2013. And we are still all talking about it, many of us in mourning for the death of our hopes for a new government to replace the present one who have, from the perspective of many, done enough damage, thank you very much.

One of the main topics of conversation around the proverbial water cooler is the percentage of the electorate who voted, or more accurately, didn't vote. Only 52% of eligible voters took the time and opportunity to mark a ballot and have their vote counted. Apparently, according to some statistics I read this week, in 1983 70% of the electorate voted and the numbers have been sliding ever since. Theories as to why this is the case abound, as well as ideas of what to do about it. I find the numbers disheartening. Here we are in a democratic country where no one has to risk their lives to vote, where women can vote, where one's local candidates will find a ride for you to the voting station, and where every effort is made to make voting easy and convenient - although one cannot, as yet, vote on a smartphone in between updating one's Facebook status  - and yet nearly half of eligible voters still refuse to exercise their democratic right to help choose their next representative in the capital, Victoria, a city celebrating all things Victorian this Victoria Day weekend.

I wonder just what it is that causes so many not to vote. Is it a feeling of disconnection? Is it a 'none of the above' response to the available candidates? Is it due to sense of helplessness in the grand scheme of things? Is it laziness? Anarchy? Anti-government sensibilities? Ignorance as to what it is our Members of the Legislative Assembly actually do in Victoria? I wish there was a way to find out why people don't vote, and a better way to engage voters. I really don't think the television commercials and endless messages via social media are doing it, not because TV and social media are not effective tools of communication, but that somehow, the parties go about promoting themselves in the wrong way. One of our parties, the Liberals, chose the attack ad route, resorting to placing a cut-out of the New Democratic Party's leader on a weather vane which moved back and forth to show his apparent 'shift with the wind' policies, and dragging out a long-forgiven forged memo from back in the mid-nineties. The New Democrats decided to run a clean campaign with no attack ads, only somewhat bland commercials showing nicely dressed, smiling folks planting flowers and hiking in the forest with their children and saying, "I'm ready for a change in government," without really pinpointing what that change would look like, specifically. As for the other parties, The Conservatives and The Green Party, along with several independents, they apparently lacked the funds for TV and YouTube spots apart from the televised debate which many analysts say was the turning point in the election. The Green Party ended up with a seat in the Legislature for the very first time, and our Premier actually lost her seat to an NDP candidate. She will now have to convince another winning MLA to give up his or her seat so she can enter the Legislature. Her party, however, did win the election overall, with a resounding lead. Did the attack ads work? Or were people just listening too much to the polls and became apathetic about the other parties actually needing their vote? It is very hard to say, and each party's representatives have convincing arguments to support their point of view.

On election night I heard one analyst say that "this election will be studied in universities and books will be written about it." The result was certainly unexpected, but by now, we in British Columbia should expect the unexpected when it comes to our politics. The sun will go on rising and setting no matter which party is in power, but if 48% of us are not voting, we need an overhaul of the system, or societal attitudes for that matter, because the issues at stake are huge for us all. Jobs, the environment, stagnating inflation, education, rising medical costs, child poverty, increased homelessness, disenfranchised youth, funding for arts, culture and heritage (okay, maybe we don't all care about that, but I do!) - how can anyone say they are not personally affected by the decisions made by a bunch of suits in Victoria? How can anyone say their vote does not matter? If only 52% of us vote, how can an election not have some elements of a farcical comedy?

Have a lovely weekend, all! It's a nice, long one here. The above photo of the Parliament Buildings in Victoria is from The Georgia Straight publication. Looks a bit stormy, doesn't it?

15 comments:

  1. why dont people vote...i think on some level they become disenfranchised...i know here in our country we have the right to vote...for who ever the parties choose to nominate...the parties of course run by those in power...not much in the way of common men in power...just saying...but the right to vote at least gives one a voice...the systems been broke for some time...i would def go for an overhaul...

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    1. It seems a lot of people are feeling that way. Some of our senators are now in hot water. Institutions are coming into question all over the place!

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  2. It's relatively simple. Skin in the game. To put it another way. I'm one of the few without kids who think MORE money should be poured into education, but to increase the numbers of teachers not to pay them more. But the polls in BC, from what I'm reading, were on the cheap. On-line polls are a number of things, self selecting, biased to age and not delimited by geography. But they do something else too. They scare the bejapers out of the conservative element driving them out of their leafy suburban cul-de-sac's and golfclubs into the polling booth.

    Looking at the final poll on http://electionsbcenr.blob.core.windows.net/electionsbcenr/GE-2013-05-14_Party.html I sure as hell wouldn't give the Greens much hope in Hope.

    What I'd like to know is how a 5% shift converted into 17 seats

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    1. Yes, the Liberals conducted their own style of polling internally and came up with quite a different, and encouraging to them, result, apparently.
      Greens in Hope? Nope - not even a candidate in that riding!
      Our system is on a per riding basis. Add up all those seats (not the total number of votes overall) won and the most seats win. Some seats are won by a hair.

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  3. And that photo doesn't look stormy so much as over 'contrasted'. Remarkable though, but I don't think it's been much processed at all. I think it's an evening shot, late-September-ish, where the sun had burned the building with that yellow causing a real pop.

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    1. I was thinking of the mood of the photo, not the actual weather at play, for it looks quite pleasant.

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    2. Mood-wise it looks like a vampire is about to leap off one of the pediments. Mood-wise it quite disturbing.

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    3. Yep. That's what I was going for.

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  4. Wow, that's a low percentage. Here in the US, the big elections seem to be getting more and more divisive. And the campaigning has gotten more and more nasty. I think what brings the voters out is wanting to vote "against" a ticket rather than "for"

    Cool photo! Hope you enjoyed your longish weekend!

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    1. That says a lot, doesn't it? Up here we are trying hard to keep it from becoming a two party system - it seems to want to go there.

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  5. I love the photo.

    I really don't love politics.

    It was interesting to be able to compare and contrast another country.

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    1. I'm with Jenny; don't really like politics - all of its rhetoric.
      I do try to understand all the issues, form opinions and vote, though.
      And, I do appreciate people who feel called to lead. Someone's gotta do it.
      And here I thought Canada was the "calmer" country when comparing it with the U.S.

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    2. Jenny: Nice to see you here again! I do enjoy politics, and if I had more of a fighting spirit, I would enter the game myself...I think.

      Anita: There is so much to satirize in this country as of late, that a satirical magazine is going to re-launch (they shut down in 2008). It has been a bit crazy for Canada. We aren't used to it!

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  6. In the US the percentage of people voting is going up, while the percentage of people paying income taxes is going down. (Not tax dodgers, just changes in the system.) Which is will be interesting as time goes on. And everything political here is ugly.

    I'm 44 and I hold out hope for the next generation. I just read an article that said people born since 1980 are very interested and involved politically. They think the baby boomer generation ruined the country with their publicly funded gluttony. And they have no tolerance for extreme party politics because it gets nothing done. These were the same impulses that led to the "Occupy" movements awhile back, where young people protested big financial organizations. These young people are this country's future grown ups, and when they grow up they will change the country. It will be their country soon enough and I am proud of them for being angry.

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    1. It is interesting how over the past couple of generations, the up and coming one believes the one before it ruined the country, and it's probably true. But, if it gets the kids caring and involved, that's good! We have to put our hopes in someone. In this country, we are trying to veer away from extreme party politics, and I truly hope we will be able to do so. Our reigning conservative government needs a very strong opposition and I am happy to say we are getting there.
      Stay strong Sacramento...I mean, Idaho :)

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I'd love to hear your thoughts. Thanks!