ourvote.ca
Kirk has set up a website, called ourvote.ca, with information for Canadian youth aged 18-24 who are voting in the upcoming federal election. Technically I’m not in the target demographic, but some of my readers might be.
Apparently things are heating up in the campaign, with the parties very close in the polls right now. If you’re living abroad as I am, you can still vote by mail-in ballot, although you’ll have to hurry now to get one. Check out the Elections Canada website for more information. Do consider voting. With the parties close in the polls, individual votes have more effect on the overall outcome (I’m sure there’s a mathematical way to quantify this, but I’m no mathematician… oh wait…).
Comment by patrick
Or if you are going to be back in the country but only after registration closes might I recommend doing what I did. Fax your passport/drivers liscence/other things with your signature on them to someone at home who can register you at the elections office.
Once again I am happy and amazed at how efficent and helpful elections canada is (seriously). They make elections ontario look like a piece of puke.
Cheers,
P
Comment by Matt D
Your vote has additional importance after the 2003 Amendment to the Elections Act. If your national party scores 2% nationally, then the party gets $1.75 for each vote. The bar for a non-national party is %5 per riding, with each riding assessed separately. And if any candidate, including an independent, scores 10% or higher in her riding, then she is reimbursed 60% of her costs. Sure this could simply be seen as a shift in funding from now-banned corporate contributions, but it’s a nice one. Yay Elections Canada (and Chretien, I suppose).
Comment by Meredi
There is a new guy at work who looks exactly like you, just 15 years older. It is CREEPY.
Comment by Petr
There is another site Apathy is Boring (www.apathyisboring.com) that was actually set up by youth to challenge the young voter turn out. Although it seems they are giving up on this election and instead on aiming to build up support for the 2008 election, it is a good site.
