There have been a few grumbles about being asked to go to the polls again, but voting day has gotten here regardless.
So we hope people will take advantage of an opportunity to cast a ballot today, May 6, as residents of Nanaimo-Ladysmith select a new member of Parliament.
This byelection is a little bit different than some elections in that we may or may not be selecting long-term federal leadership for the riding. The MP we elect will serve a term of only five months, with only about five weeks of that time period in the House of Commons. There could be important legislation passed, but realistically, there’s not a lot that an MP can get done in Parliament in that time frame.
Our choice matters, though. Canadians from coast to coast to coast will be interested to find out what representative and party Nanaimo-Ladysmith votes for today. Parties may look at us as an indicator of the political climate in British Columbia. Our choice is sure to be analyzed by all parties as we signal what priorities and messaging resonated with voters here during the byelection campaign. Any byelection can be viewed as a referendum on the governing party, but this byelection isn’t just a performance review, it’s also a judgment on the opposition parties, including two that have new leaders at the helm and one that didn’t even exist in the last federal election.
All parties will be working on their platforms for the fall, so they need to pay attention to what voters here are telling them. Our vote is our voice.
Any Canadian citizen age 18 and older who lives in the riding can vote in the byelection May 6 from 8:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Review your voter information card to find out where to vote. For more information about voting places and acceptable identification, visit http://elections.ca or call 1-800-463-6868.
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