I recently gave a speech as an assignment for a class in presentation skills. Naturally, when asked to choose a topic, I slanted towards a political one. But the topic I chose was not one that causes division between left and right, and red and blue, but rather one that should be of concern to every citizen for the same reason. The speech explained why many Canadians choose not to vote and why they should. An shortened text of the original speech is below, but while preparing the speech I began to think about how social media could change the way we vote for the better. These ideas could not be included in the original speech due to time constraints but I will explain them below the original text of the speech.
***
Many in the world can’t get it, yet it’s offered to you for free. People have fought and died for it. Sometimes successfully, sometimes not. You can have it, although you may have to wait in a line and flash some ID. What is this coveted and powerful thing? It is your vote in a democratic election.
In Canada we enjoy one of the most trustworthy, fair and transparent electoral systems in the world. We have the power to freely elect those who represent us in political office and on the local, national and international stage. Yet, in the last federal election in 2008, out of the 23.6 million Canadians who could have voted, only 13.9 million or 58.8 per cent of voters exercised their democratic right.
Why is this so? Well, people choose not to vote for a variety of reasons. A 2003 study by Elections Canada examined the most common reasons for not voting given by non-voters in the 2000 general election. The study found that 67.7 per cent of those surveyed felt they did not vote because of negative attitudes towards the government, politicians and candidates. Another 40.3 per cent listed public apathy: a lack of interest, having their attention focused elsewhere or a lack of knowledge or information as their reasons behind not voting. Finally, 24.9 per cent of non-voters cited feelings of meaninglessness toward participation and a lack of competition.
Another important factor to consider is age. Based upon informal observation, I would say that the average age of this class falls into the 21-24 year old age range. This means that only 27.5 per cent of us would vote based on turnout rates from the 2000 election. Put another way that means that only about 9 of us would choose to exercise our right to vote. Although this statistic may not be surprising, it illustrates a lack of participation and a problem for the democratic process in Canada.
But all is not lost. You will inevitably be given another chance to choose your leaders and a chance to reverse this trend. You rightfully ask why bother? What’s in it for me? Well, let me tell you.
There are many good reasons to vote. Some may be rather obvious, while others might not be as noticeable. Whatever form they take, the benefits of voting are real and worth the effort.
The most basic reason to vote is that it forms the basis for all democratic societies. Without your vote, our system of government would lack the legitimacy it needs to be effective and recognized. It would leave a vacuum of power that would be filled based on the interests of a few, rather than the interests of all citizens. When you vote you are not just voting for a candidate or a party, you are voting for yourself and what matters to you. You are voting for your community, your country and your world. Voting is the link that connects us together as citizens. Your vote represents what you didn’t like about the past, what you hope to change in the present and your dreams for the future. Voting is your right and your civic responsibility.
In spite of this, many of us feel that one vote does not really make a difference, so there’s no point in voting. The problem with this argument is that it rests on the same logic that is used to defend other decisions and actions that almost nobody agrees with. For example, almost everyone tries to be environmentally friendly these days, yet you hear people suggest that: idling their car, not recycling or leaving lights on unnecessarily doesn’t matter because they are just one person. Well, we know that our impact on the environment as a society is the aggregate of individual habits and choices. Such is the same in a democracy. A democracy is as much a living system of inputs and outputs as is our environment. When you choose not to vote, you are depriving the political system of the oxygen it needs to function at its full potential. The more that citizens participate in elections, the more we will all benefit. As young people, by not voting we lose the ability to influence decisions made today that will affect our future. Most politicians that are elected will not be around fifty to sixty years from now, but we will be. Voting is a tool that we can use to shape our future.
So if the importance of voting in our democratic system, the power of your vote and the health benefits that voting can bring aren’t enough to convince you to exercise your right; allow me to leave you with the words of former US presidential candidate Ralph Nader, who once said “If you don’t turn onto politics, politics will turn on you.”
***
It is clear by the stats stated in the speech that voting rates amongst youth should be the main concern of Canadian society. The reasons for not voting given by this group come down to three things: they don't know enough, they don't see why they should care and they think voting is a waste of time. All of these problems can be solved by communications, using the power of social media to inform and engage youth.
Elections Canada needs to initiate a social media strategy to engage youth using their prefered medium. I mean the lame commercials on Much Music and appearances by aged leaders are a nice try, but theyre just not going to cut it. We need to get youth talking on Twitter, Facebook and other platforms about who they will vote for and why. I am not talking about each political party setting up social media to preach their messages (although this would eventually be an important step in getting youth to care about voting).
What I am proposing, is a centralized effort by a non-partisan group to present political matters in a straight forward manner that is easy for those new to voting to understand. Have a forum where the big issues in the election are explained in terms people can understand and relay where each major party stands. For example, I would bet my life that most youth 18-24 have no idea what a harmonized sales tax is. But explain to them that the prices of certain goods may rise, but on the other hand it may be good for business and thus the economy as a whole and they may be more likely to respond and care.
Social media can also be an important tool in informing voters about the time and place of votes and outcomes.
By using social media to explain political issues to youth and enticing them to vote, the health if the Canadian political system will improve. If the political establishment chooses to ignore this problem and the preferences of Canadian youth, the Canadian democracy will continue on its path to irrelevancy.
No comments:
Post a Comment