Voter Apathy
Published on April 26, 2011 by Katrina Grdasic
Voter Apathy: The Democratic Deficit
According to Elections Canada, the last election in 2008 had a voter turn out of 58.8%. Voter turn out has been steadily declining in the last 20 years especially, with the exception of the 2006 election:
| Election Date | Voter Turn Out (%) |
| 21 November 1988 | 75.3 |
| 25 October 1993 | 69.6 |
| 2 June 1997 | 67.0 |
| 27 November 2000 | 61.2 |
| 28 June 2004 | 60.9 |
| 23 January 2006 | 64.7 |
| 14 October 2008 | 58.8 |
If just over only half of the country is voting in the federal elections, this poses a problem for democracy. If we look at the last election where the Conservatives won a minority government with about 46% of the vote. That translates to only 27.6% of Canadians actually voting for a Conservative government. It’s safe to say then that the Conservatives are not REALLY representative of what Canadians want, and thus what Canada stands for.
A common excuse I hear for not voting is “well, it’s only one vote. It won’t really make a difference”. The problem is that this becomes a collective problem: there are tones of other people who feel the same way, and it is evident in the statistics.
A Proportional Representation system will help alleviate the problem of the democratic deficit. Everyone’s vote will truly count. In comparison to a First Past the Post System, vote’s will not be “wasted”. Interests of the Canadian public will be better represented this way, improving the connection between MPs and their constituents.
On May 2, 2011, the 41st Canadian General Election will be held. For the past few months of the year, we have been bombarded with images from the North African and Middle Eastern countries of angry citizens protesting for democracy. People in these countries long for free and fair elections, rights and freedoms, and accountability of the government. It’s safe to say that with a voter turn out this low, we take what we have for granted. The New Democrat party offers an alternative, a new way to how politics are done. With emphasis on human rights, peaceful foreign policy, increasing health care spending, and decreasing poverty, this is Canada’s party. You only have one vote, so choose the new way: the New Democrat way.
Sources: Elections Canada, NDP Platform
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