During the past several weeks we’ve been inundated with political messages for the Oct. 19 federal election.
I don’t watch televiision, and listen to very little commercial radio, so I miss a lot of what’s been chucked at the voting public. But I see the stories in the newspapers and on the internet, and I receive more party press releases, analysis, polls and third party commentary to choke an endangered blue whale!
Some people might feel a bit overwhelmed and confused by the variety of messages being thrown at them, and you have to wonder if that’s not the goal of some of them.
Unfortunately, our ridings are so large that we really haven’t had the opportunity to get to know our candidates and hear what they have to say about the issues that are most important to us.
Don’t let that deter you from voting.
And no, I’m not advocating voting in ignorance.
CBC has an interesting election tool called Vote Compass at https://votecompass.cbc.ca It gives you a series of statements in which you answer how strongly you agree or disagree with them. After you’re finished, it shows you how your views fit into the political spectrum, and also where the main political parties fit there as well.
This is the second time/election they’ve offered it, and I’ve taken it both times. It’s both consistent as well as interesting for those of us who like to see where they fit in with the larger picture. It’s well worth the 10 minutes or so that it takes to answer.
And if you’re waffling back and forth on the candidates, waiting for one of them to make a statement that will earn your vote, the result of Vote Compass may help you decide on the party that comes closest to your point of view.
Don’t be one of those who says their vote won’t make a difference. There are a million people out there saying the same thing, and a million votes will definitely make a difference. They only way your vote won’t is if you don’t cast it.
Vote and exercise your political clout!
Wendy Coomber is editor of the Ashcroft-Cache Creek Journal
