“I don’t know what difference it will make. I feel like I don’t know shit,” says a young man on a skateboard in Millefiore Clarkes’ film, Democracy Needs You. By the end of the four-minute clip, the same young man, sporting sunglasses and a green cap, says, grinning, “I probably will vote after this just because you’re here, and I appreciate this.”
Clarkes, a PEI filmmaker whose short went viral, describes herself as “not an overly political person” but felt “compelled to do something other than mark my ballot.”
It’s generally not easy to persuade someone who hasn’t participated in the democratic process before to become involved. But as Canada rounds the final bend in the federal election trail, independent filmmakers like Clarkes to well-known media personalities like Rick Mercer and musicians K’naan and Arcade Fire are urging us on. Even beloved children’s singer Raffi is urging “grown-up belugas” to rock the vote. “Come and rock the boat,” sings a salt-and-pepper bearded Raffi. “Please get out and vote.”
With every federal election, there is, inevitably, discussion and media coverage on voter apathy, particularly among young people. The 2008 election yielded the lowest voter turnout in Canadian history, with 58.8 percent casting their ballots, a drop from 64.7 percent in 2006. What caused that drop and is it apathy that is plaguing voters?
The answer, it seems, is complicated.
“It’s very easy and tempting to make broad demographic conclusions,” says Angus Johnston, a historian of American student activism and an advocate of student organizing. “This idea of student or youth disengagement becomes conventional wisdom. People take it [at face value] instead of exploring it. I think it’s more important to recognize that there’s a lot more than what the raw numbers show us.”
A video that is currently making the rounds on Facebook is Dave Meslin’s “TED Talks on apathy.” “We live in a world that actively discourages engagement by constantly putting up obstacles and barriers,” Meslin says in front of a Toronto crowd. He goes on to list six barriers that prevent people from engaging in their communities, including deep flaws with our political parties and an out-of-date elections system.
In a sense people are fatigued by elections—this is the fourth one in seven years, each resulting in a minority government. It doesn’t help that the three major political parties focus more on slamming each other instead of finding solutions to the environmental and financial problems looming over us. It’s no wonder many feel overwhelmed and want to stay at home on election day.
It’s important to discern apathy from disengagement and the cynicism that results from disengagement. The idea that people don’t care or are lazy or stupid is dangerous. It justifies inaction.
“It is very important to note the stereotype of students as being coddled and lazy with lots of free time on their hands is never an accurate stereotype,” says Johnston.
The definition of a student has changed, with more university students who are older, work, have families and take on a huge amount of loan debt. To say that they just don’t care is erroneous; it might just be that they don’t have the energy to put into making an informed voter decision.
We need to examine the reasons why a person chooses to disengage from the electoral process. It can be a matter of accessibility—that person isn’t registered, doesn’t have the necessary information to go vote, feels as if he or she won’t be properly represented anyway. The list of barriers goes on.
Then there are those who actively decide not to vote as a political statement. The Revolutionary Communist Party of Canada has Boycott the Elections 2011, for what they call “anti-parliamentarian democracy.” The boycott is “a tool for various anti-capitalist groups to work in a non-sectarian manner,” explains the website, which calls for the left to “work on building a democracy beyond the ritualistic electoral politics that defines mainstream political organizing.”
Agree with the logic or not, but purposely boycotting the election is quite different from apathy.
Geoff Tanner, 47, has voted for most of his life but decided not to this election. He says he is not against voting, he merely sees no point to it, noting there are conditions that would make him vote.
“I didn’t want to vote for something I didn’t truly support. I decided that I would only vote for something,” says Tanner. He recalls when he was 20, he spent half a year travelling in Canada but came home to vote. “I was in Vancouver and hitchhiked for six days back to Sydney,” he says. As he got older, his thinking shifted. “It pains me to have this position. I would love to live in a society where I want to participate.”
“A main reason for not voting in the past was my disengagement from the electoral process as a whole and the fact that I was uninterested in anything political,” says Matthew M., who declines to give his last name. But the 24-year-old actor-musician plans to vote May 2. He cites an eye-opening experience at Christmas of 2008 that triggered a shift in his thinking. He was away from home, feeling homesick when a high school friend stationed in Afghanistan messaged them on Facebook.
“He hadn’t been home in four months and was about to spend his second Christmas in Afghanistan,” says Matthew. “That experience really opened my eyes to how easy I have it at my age, in my country and in this time, and that I had a responsibility to my friends and my loved ones to raise my voice up against things I didn’t believe in, like 20-year-old kids spending Christmas in a desert war that we never wanted.”
Matthew stresses the importance of education. “Kids won’t vote if they don’t understand it, and they won’t understand it unless they’re taught,” he says, “and they won’t learn it if they’re not interested.”
Apathy is Boring is a non-partisan group that tries to reach youth not engaged in democracy or with their communities through art and technology. “We look for low-risk entry points to get a young person who has not been involved before, to talk to them in an accessible way,” says Ilona Dougherty, executive director of A is B.
The group works year-round with different chapters all across the country going to places where young people congregate, such as music festivals. It also provides information on its website about the democratic process. The group did a survey in 2008 and found the number one reason why young people didn’t vote was because they felt they didn’t have information or knew where to go.
“A is B provides a next step—concrete, accessible information on how to vote,” says Dougherty, “to be a place where they can go to get unbiased information.” She also stresses, “There are many ways to be involved in the democratic process, voting is just a part of it. Being involved in one’s community as a volunteer or supporting community initiatives is a valid form of participation, as is writing to your MP, signing a petition, being involved in a peaceful protest, et cetera.”
For all its faults and virtues, democracy is a challenging and complex form of governance. Low voter turnout “is a real chicken and egg problem,” says Johnston. “Groups that vote, get catered to. Groups that don’t vote enough, don’t get catered to.”
Using apathy to answer why there is low voter turnout is a scapegoat method. By simply saying that people do not care, it feeds the idea that nothing can be done about it. If the problem is feeling disenfranchised and perceived powerlessness, then figuring out how to engage people is much different than fighting apathy. While that task is just as challenging, it’s not as hopeless. It simply requires strategy.
Whether people vote or not is up to them. We are lucky to have that option in this country, but it’s important to be informed before making a decision. “Inaction is a choice,” says Clarkes. “It’s a form of action that has consequences, too.”
Michelle Kay is a freelance writer, web and social media editor in Toronto. You can chat with her @yo_mk.
Election resources to click with before Monday’s vote:
- thecoast.ca/DemocracyNeedsYou
- apathyisboring.com
- elections.ca
- thecoast.ca/RaffiSaysVote
- liberal.ca
- conservative.ca
- ndp.ca
- greenparty.ca
- boycottelections2011.blogspot.com,/a>
This article appears in Apr 28 – May 4, 2011.
You know, I’m sick of nonvoters! Every time I talk to some one who’s not voting I get the same damn reasons, “I don’t like any of the parties,” “It doesn’t matter anyways,” “I don’t believe in voting,” “I’m protesting by not voting.” Blah blah blah! You’re all just too lazy to vote!
If you truly feel none of the parties represent you, or that the whole process is flawed or that by not taking a stand you’re some how protesting, then here’s what you should do; Show up and SPOIL YOUR BALLOT!
That’s right, SPOIL YOUR BALLOT! It’s easy, just mark every candidate (or at least two) on your ballot, and BAM! It doesn’t count towards the result. But it IS counted and it IS a statement.
Only about 60% of registered voters bother, so in a way, nonvoters are the largest constituency making up around 40%. If half of these people show up and spoil their ballots this would make a serious impression on the outcome, and 20% of the voters intentionally spoiling their ballots could NOT be ignored. Something would have to be done.
People who don’t even show up to vote get written off as apathetic, uninformed or simply lazy. And therefore are not represented in the party platforms. But if a significant number of people show up and spoil their ballots, only a small handful of these could be written off as too stupid to “work” the ballot cards and the motives of the rest would have to be examined. Maybe this could be an avenue for political reform, at the very least it might urge political parties to revamp their polices to hopefully reflect the concerns of these people.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to spoil my ballot, but I am going to vote (and I wish you would too.) But if you have decided waste your vote due to an inability to vote for the lesser evil, don’t be lazy about it, just go SPOIL YOUR BALLOT and stop using idealism as a justification for your real problem, which is probably just laziness.
Thankyou
-Kyle Bridgett
Hi, Kyle Bridgett here
In hindsight, I realized I may have used the wrong terminology in my previous statement about spoiling your ballot. I should have been clear on this point, technically what I urge you to do is REJECT YOUR BALLOT,as a REJECTED BALLOT is one where none or more than one candidate is selected (and these are counted,) where as a SPOILED BALLOT is considered to be one that has been defaced and technically this is a crime.
So I recant and say REJECT YOUR BALLOT if you’re not going vote.
But don’t spoil it or you could get arrested.
The idea’s the same, (but I don’t want to advocate a crime,) so if you’re reading my original comment, just replace the “spoil your ballots” with “reject you ballots.”
Sorry,
Kyle Bridgett
You know, I’m sick of nonvoters! Every time I talk to some one who’s not voting I get the same damn reasons, “I don’t like any of the parties,” “It doesn’t matter anyways,” “I don’t believe in voting,” “I’m protesting by not voting,” blah blah blah! You’re all just too lazy to vote!
If you truly feel none of the parties represent you, or that the whole process is flawed or that by not taking a stand you’re some how protesting, then here’s what you should do; Show up and REJECT YOUR BALLOT!
That’s right, REJECT YOUR BALLOT! It’s easy, just mark every candidate (or at least two) on your ballot, and BAM! It doesn’t count towards the result. But it is counted and it is a statement.
Only about 60% of registered voters bother, so in a way, nonvoters are the largest constituency making up around 40%. If half of these people show up and reject their ballots this would make a serious impression on the outcome, and 20% of the voters intentionally rejecting their ballots could NOT be ignored. Something would have to be done.
People who don’t even show up to vote get written off as apathetic, uninformed or simply lazy. And therefore are not represented in the party platforms. But if a significant number of people show up and reject their ballots, only a small handful of these could be written off as too stupid to “work” the ballot cards and the motives of the rest would have to be examined. Maybe this could be an avenue for political reform, at the very least it might urge political parties to revamp their polices to hopefully reflect the concerns of these people.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to reject my ballot, but I am going to vote (and I wish you would too.) But if you have decided waste your vote due to an inability to vote for the lesser evil, don’t be lazy about it, just go REJECT YOUR BALLOT and stop using idealism as a justification for your real problem, which is probably just laziness.
Thank you.
Kyle Bridgett
First, thank you Michelle Kay, and Kyle Bridgett. I completely agree.
Second, I just want to add to a point in Kay’s article, where Geoff Tanner tells us that he made a point to hitch-hike all the way across the country in order to vote. This was totally not necessary, so hopefully he enjoyed the trip and met lots of cool people on the way, otherwise he should have continued to enjoy the trip.
In 2008 an election was called while I was tripping around the country. As soon as the election was called I found a town, went to the library to ask where voting would be happening, and voted. As long as it’s at least 2 weeks before election day, they can mail in your vote. I’m not positive but I think you can do this from anywhere in the world, mail in your vote.
http://elections.ca/content.aspx?section=v…
I am with Kyle- if all else fails then at least show up and ….
ELECT to REJECT
Who votes? What issues are we voting on? Who represents my own beliefs and ideas of how society should be functioning?
Does voting really make a difference?
Regardless of socio-economic background these are the questions we ask as we slide into this spring with elections coming up within days. The good folks of HRM metropolis are given the privileged task of choosing a member of parliament in the hopes that each of us will have our own voice heard through each person we vote for.
If you are living in Nova Scotia and in particular the HRM, you have been lulled into a numbness with the campaigning rhetoric of promises of a better and safer tomorrow.
It seems with each passing election the masses are becoming so numb over the expectation of nothing from their representatives that there really seems to be no need for elections and the vulgar waste of money spent each time. So why have elections and go through the inconvenience of the voting process?
Who votes?
In auld Canada, the voting process was an exclusive ‘members only’ process. It was one of the most single events that separated the people into visible social categories which, at that time, meant for those who were academically educated, the progeny of generational wealth and class privilege, male and Caucasian.
We know historically this elite club, no doubt against its will, was forced through legislation and movements for human dignity and rights, to open the door to allow non-members to enjoy the privilege of voting for those that would bring Canada into the future. Although voting is said to be democratic in the nature of electing a representative, it could not boast of being truly democratic or representative of the people until it included all the people.
So why is it then that after a relatively brief history of political development that enables all Canadians to have the right to vote do we not have a great voter turn-out at the polls?
Why in a place as small as HRM do we not have 100% turn-out at the stations despite the right that was once a privilege? The answers are similar across class lines, each person having strong opinions on why voters in this city and province are so without enthusiasm.
What issues are we voting on?
The real numbers are unknown but it would be interesting to know who still votes for the person or party their grandparents voted for.
How many choose because of the poli-platform that each party claims to represent? Or do you vote for the person who has the strongest hand shake?
Or are you me, grown bored and tired of the same ole same ole that you rather bath the cat that is not declawed on election day, deeming it less painful. Here in this province and city we have the devils you know versus the devils you know, each party wearing their cheap smelling version of eau du Halifax Harbour.
Despite being a scent- free province there is a stench of politricks, elected representatives gone afoul, nobody taking the lead, nobody being responsible at every level.
What issues are important to you are often pimped by fast talking ventriloquists, somebody always has their hand up someone else’s… well you know how it goes. More schools, more jobs, less crime, less pollution… the list is long.
I vote for less government corruption, less personal spending accounts for public servants, more ethics, more accountability, more intelligence and more responsibility. We have never seen these on anyone’s political handouts to date….were they assumed to be givens? We argue that with our list the other items will inevitably be resolved.
Who represents my own beliefs and ideas of how society should be functioning?
No one party is the perpetrator or victim, they are equally guilty playing out their dysfunctional roles where the good folks of metropolis lose with each spin of the bottle.
Does voting really make a difference?
Brief answer….YES!
It first and foremost makes a difference in the life of those elected who now get to enjoy a wage and on-the-book-off-the-book benefits at the tax payer’s expense.
Does it make a difference at the community level? That depends on how you define community. If you define it solely by its members then we may have a problem. No one elected person could possibly represent the needs of all their constituents equally, it would be most unfair to expect them to do so. And what if those needs are opposing? Who gets the short straw? Who decides the ‘worthiness’ of the issues?
Meet Mister Money.
Mr.Money belongs to the oldest party in the world, the Money Party, with exclusive membership. The more money you have the more connections you have, the more connections you have the more resources you have, the more resources you have the more ’friends’ you have.
Poor folk ain’t got nae friends.
Sure, issues that plague the vulnerable and impoverished are often talked about at election time but we all know how much work Talk got done. Sure, the visibly poor communities get lots of attention but either it is negative or convenient. The former is self explanatory, the latter, the polite word for social pimping, a politrick done shamefully to boost poli-platforms for patronage from the poor. At no other time but election time are the issues of the poor pimped with promises of sugar plums for those with no food in their bellies. It is somewhat profound that the people who need the loudest voices are often ignored or silenced except by Johnny Gladhand and Smiley Jones.
Do the wealthy vote more that the sick and poor? Do the wealthy vote differently that than the sick and poor?
We believe the wealthy tend to choose the very people and parties that assist in the segregation of the classes motivated by the intense fear that poverty is somehow highly contagious and therefore in need of desperate measures such as social quarantine and persecution.
And who do the Poor vote for?
Two years ago myself and other community advocates took on the arduous but rewarding task of petitioning door to door through public housing systems. As we heard one story after another of the deplorable conditions here in HRM it was inevitable that the discussion of ‘who is responsible’ would come up. When asked each resident if they vote, the same replies would be sounded: ‘not any more’, ‘why bother’, ‘they lie and lie and lie’….
How do we motivate a people who have seen the ugly truth of society? How do we get their voice out of the kitchen and into the polling stations? We introduced them to Mister Scratch. Having worked elections myself we often had to disregard certain ballots for it was not clear who the vote had been intended for. Since this was an odd occurrence they were deemed accidental scratches but I often wondered if that was true, perhaps the people had scratched their ballot deliberately as a poli-protest.
When we offered the scratch and explained how it could be done people smiled more and stood straighter. It was as if the new option gave hope to an otherwise hopeless situation. We then agreed the tallies of scratched ballots should also be made public along side the tallies of candidates so the public could see the true democratic process at play. But how would we know what ballots were deliberately scratched and which ones were accidental, an act of poor eye sight or language barriers, perhaps even illiteracy.
I advocate that Elections Canada: federal and provincial and municipal elections publish a slot for ELECT TO REJECT as an option to scratch your ballot. This is a hopeful political voice and allows voters to not be forced to pick the least of all the devils. It will motivate them to leave their homes and go to the polls, a prediction we feel confident about if we are to use the words of those we petitioned as liking the idea of scratching very much indeed.
Recently federal and provincial governments have been in minority positions having to look over their shoulder at the dog nipping at their heels. The ELECT TO REJECT option would place at least one other dog at the heels of the ‘winners’ to let them know there is no room for boozing, snoozing or smoozing, it is time to get to work.
If we continue to be exposed to the devils versus devils as choices we will live long enough to see Mister Scratch beat Mister Money at the polls. It will act as a wake up call to those who have enjoyed the slide and glide into elected seats with just a handshake and a smile much like that of the ventriloquist doll. We predict the option to ELECT TO REJECT would extend far outside the walls of impoverished communities by those who have grown as weary as the vulnerable at watching lips move and nothing but noise coming out of mouths with permanently painted smiles.
As the election count down begins we are seeing more new candidates for each election and this is a good sign for the hopelessly hopeful, much like the farmer’s rotten crop being burned to the ground, the old crops being ripped out at the roots to give the new crops a solid chance to start anew.
I encourage each citizen to get out and vote for each election: school board, municipal, provincial and federal. If you do not like the choices on your ballot card, I ask that you have enough respect for the democratic process to scratch/reject your ballot, a valid vote, instead of staying home constantly complaining about cousins ‘woulda, coulda and shoulda’…..Shen Anigan and Tom Foolery.
There is no excuse for being ignorant of politics in a democratic society. In an hour, a person can visit the websites of the three major parties to see what their planks are. In less than ten minutes a day during an election, a person can follow the latest developments on the campaign trail. If a person has the time to check Facebook, to do the crossword, to watch a hockey game, then a person has the time to find out about what the general political situation of the country is. Pay attention during news updates on TV instead of getting another beer. Read the articles about politics in whatever daily paper is available. And go vote.