velvetpage: (Canada rainbow)
[personal profile] velvetpage
Today is the day, folks - Canada's fortieth general election. The polls open at eight and close at eight, at least around here. Your employer is REQUIRED BY LAW to ensure that you have time to vote if you ask for it.

So, vote.

In keeping with election traditions, I'm not saying who I'll be voting for, publicly, until the election is over, because the campaign is over and it's election day. When I get to school, I'm going to be asking the deputy returning officer setting up in the gym if I can bring my grade fives through to see the polling station - a field trip without leaving the school. And this afternoon when we get home, the girls and I will get my voter registration card and my driver's license, and go across the street so I can vote.

This is important. Even if it won't change anything - and depending where you live, it might not - even if you don't know which party will do the best job - practically everybody has that problem at the moment - get out there and do the thing that generations of people have fought, died, and LIVED that you might have the chance. Do the thing that large swaths of the world still only dream about doing. Participate in the process that Canadians have helped to create in Ukraine and South America and other developing democracies around the world.

Vote.

Don't take it all for granted. Don't let cynicism overwhelm you. Just get to your local school gymnasium or church hall or community centre or apartment building foyer where the polling station for your neighbourhood is located, and vote.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-10-14 11:19 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] redeem147.livejournal.com
That's interesting. Our polls open at 9:30 and close at 9:30pm.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-10-14 01:33 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] stress-kitten.livejournal.com
We're 7am to 7pm. Interesting regional differences.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-10-14 08:45 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] velvetpage.livejournal.com
That's so that those people east of you don't have to wait quite so long to find out who won. Are you two hours different from me, or three? If it's two, then your polls are actually closing BEFORE Ontario's.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-10-14 01:34 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] anidada.livejournal.com
Same here.

I guess the "time off" thing is for people who work 12-hour+ shifts... gaaaaah.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-10-14 08:41 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] velvetpage.livejournal.com
You're right - I got the times wrong. Other years they've been eight to eight.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-10-14 12:04 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] daednu.livejournal.com
Last year was the first year I've been able to vote since having kids, as I've been in the US for years.
I waited for the kids to get home to vote and will continue that tradition. It's an unschooling field trip. ;)

Last year Sid was pretty cheesed off when we walked out of the polling station. He was sure he should have been able to vote.

I'm staunchly in the camp of "you don't get to bitch unless you vote". It's fine to feel like your vote is a raindrop in the river. But EVERYONE's vote is such. But you earn your right to complain by voting for what you DO believe in.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-10-14 01:14 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] nottheterritory.livejournal.com
Wow - only 40th? It seems like we have them every two years. Oh wait, that's cause we do, but just lately. I think the Liberals and Conservatives are just having elections constantly trying to bankrupt the minor parties so they can get back to being a two party system.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-10-14 04:27 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] siobhan63.livejournal.com
Actually, it's the Liberals facing bankruptcy. This is part of harper's plan to eradicate the Liberals by forcing elections and/or leadership conventions on them in short order. He hates the Liberals and would be very pleased if the party disappeared due to lack of funds.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-10-14 01:30 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] integritysinger.livejournal.com
hoping your thanksgiving was lovely.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-10-14 08:43 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] velvetpage.livejournal.com
It was, thank you!

(no subject)

Date: 2008-10-14 04:26 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] midnightsangel.livejournal.com
I voted :)

And I believe you can vote everywhere in Ontario until 9 30pm. Or so said the radio

(no subject)

Date: 2008-10-14 08:43 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] velvetpage.livejournal.com
Yep, I was wrong about the time.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-10-16 03:34 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mar2nee.livejournal.com
Very nicely said.

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