Quote:
Originally Posted by RedHot25
But do we really know why voters aren't voting? You seem to have your assumptions and beliefs (they could be right or they could not be right).
Someone going to vote and checking a "n/a" or spoil my ballot option tells me that they are engaged and definitely want the system to change somehow. Why waste your time to do otherwise. But right now, that 40% could have not voted for a wide variety of reasons - we don't really know. We can have our guesses, but who really knows.
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Do we know why all voters don't vote? Nope. But we have a pretty good idea with the majority. The majority of non-voters are apathetic. When we delve into the specifics, that's when it gets more unknown. Is it disinterest due to laziness? is it like in my riding, where Harper was gonna win by 20,000 votes regardless? is it a general lack of political interest? or is it people becoming disenchanted with the electoral system and staying home?
Are people who spoil their ballot, rip it up, or desire to check "n/a" really engaged in the process though? It can be argued that engaging is having a voice in the system... even one in an ocean of millions counts at the very least, as a ~$2.00 donation to the party of choice. Refusing to vote is essentially that, refusing to participate. That one voice doesn't exist anymore. Even if we tallied all the N/As and ballot spoilers, would we find them in large numbers? doubtful, except in mandatory voting, or extreme hypotheticals.
As much as I deride some ideas for electoral reform, I'm actually in favor of an MMP system, if implemented correctly, but like I said, we'd end up with very similar looking results, with maybe a few seats more to the NDP and Greens, and a few less to the Bloc.