I have noticed many people I talk to about voting don't think
that their vote matters. They often say "my vote won't make a
difference" or "all the candidates are as bad as each other" to
justify not going out to vote.
As strange as it may sound, I think that people should be able to
vote for no-one. I may be wrong, but I believe a ballot that is
spoiled (by making indistinguishable marks, or by writing-in a
candidate) is counted and reported as spoiled.
I consider spoiling one's ballot as a valid form of democratic
protest, allowing citizens a way to express themselves when they
feel that none of the candidates running in their riding adequately
represent them. If people knew that their "unvote" would be
reported to the public, they might be more inclined to make the
trip to the ballot box.
I suggest that to make the most of this idea, every ballot should
have a "None of the Above" [NOTA] option. Such an option
would make voting more attractive to those who otherwise would not
vote, increasing voter turnout.
It may sound strange, but I think getting people into the habit of
voting, even if it is a vote for dissent, would foster a healthier
attitude towards voting in general. And knowing what percentage of
Canadians are dissatisfied with the options presented to them would
give more context to any election: by measuring the
"disgruntled/undecided" vote, we can engage in initiatives that
seek to reduce disenfanchisement while boosting voter turnout. The
numbers would be a valuable measure of the success of such
initiatives.
On an unrelated note, I would prefer to see a "first and second
past the post" system of election, with suitably larger ridings to
keep the representatives to a reasonable number.
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