Voters in Ontario have the option of declining their ballot in an election. This is an official, verbal way to refuse one’s democratic right to vote.
But is declining a ballot irresponsible? That’s arguable.
It can be the difference of one vote that exacts a tremendous amount of change in a political system. The saying that “every vote counts” is not wrong.
However, no one should be forced to vote in a democracy. That’s part of our freedom of choice. Choosing not to vote is a form of expression. Some say that they don’t vote because they don’t have hope that the system can or will change.
That’s a valid standpoint, but a futile one.
Many argue that the younger generation does not vote. But data from Elections Canada found that 57.1 per cent of young Canadian voted in the 2015 federal election, compared to 38.8 per cent in 2011.
Young people are the future of Canada and its politics. They increasingly shape political platforms in elections. For example, the NDP’s provincial platform stated that the party would
turn student loans into grants. This is one of the largest issues that younger Canadians face today – but it’s not just their problem.
These growing Canadians will harbor debt for years, which will affect their financial futures for
years to come, and change spending abilities that influence the rest of society, like if and when
they’ll buy or rent houses. When a large part of the working population is in debt, it severely
affects the economy.
But should they feel compelling to vote? Should they feel comfortable declining or spoiling
ballots?
Declining a ballot is not the same as spoiling a ballot, which is not a statement of denying a
vote, rather ruining a voter card so it cannot be counted. What can you say about people who
just want to doodle on a piece of paper? Can you doodle on something less important?
Seriously, though, whatever someone may write on their spoilt ballot is still an expression of
their opinion. Though it isn’t a vote, it may be a commentary on our political system as a whole,
just like declining ballots.
Spoiling a ballot is a more creative approach to declining your vote as opposed to a blank vote. Give the people some credit.
Some say that they don’t vote because they don’t have hope that the system can or will change. That’s a valid standpoint, but a futile one.
What then about throw-away votes? These are votes for parties that have little to no chance of
winning seats. If you vote for a third party as opposed to the most popular candidates, people consider this throwing away your vote.
However, technically, people aren’t throwing away their vote if their third-party candidate is winning seats in Parliament. If they are winning seats they are gaining a voice.
At the end of the day, voting is a right, not an obligation. No one needs to feel immense
pressure to vote. Thankfully, we don’t live in a totalitarian state.
By Khalida Rixzan
Please note that opinions expressed are the author’s own. They do not necessarily reflect the views and values of The Blank Page.
