Monday, March 6, 2017

Some excuses not to vote (read: I was wrong)

I used to have a pin on my backpack that read: SHUT UP AND VOTE. When I was an undergraduate student at Nipissing University, pursuing my BA in Political Science, I started the habit of writing letters to the editor of our local newspaper, the North Bay Nugget (don't laugh) about political things that caught my attention. One year, I wrote this letter. I'm sharing it with you now, because I have increasingly become critical of a perspective that I once shared with a large proportion of the politically active community - the idea that there is no excuse to not vote.

Here is a direct quote from my letter:

"I timed myself this year, just to prove to a fellow student how silly he was for saying it was a waste of time. Including travel time by bus it took me 15 minutes and 16 seconds.

The average adult Canadian watches 28.8 hours of television a week. Which seems like a bigger waste of time to you?"

Man, what a cocky jerk, right? (especially coming from someone who definitely watches more than 28.8 hours of television a week) 

There are many legitimate reasons why one may not vote, and I am regretful of the shaming tone of the above letter. So, here is my apology.  I am sorry that I shamed non-voters. I am also regretful for my stance on the Occupy movement, which I now recognize as a laudable, and politically legitimate movement with a socio-political agenda that I strongly support. 

In response to that jerk who wrote the letter 6 years ago (I call her 'Old Cranky Jo'), here are some reasons that not voting totally makes sense: 

  1. While legally employers are required to give employees time to vote, asking for time off from your job to vote may lead to unfavourable backlash. Some people are also self-employed and for the good of their business, and to protect their livelihood, may not be able to take the time to vote within the limited timeline on voting day. 
  2. Voting stations are often inaccessible to people without vehicles or money for public transit.
  3. Those with mental, physical, and/or emotional 'dis'abilities may not be able, at any given time, to leave their home, let alone go to a voting station, stand/sit in a line for an extended period of time, and/or comprehend the voting process, how to vote, who they are voting for, etc. 
  4. Engagement in the democratic process may be difficult for those whose lives are dominated by other concerns - like health issues, familial or relationship obligations, childcare, employment, emergency overseas trips, and so much more.
  5. Some people may be politically motivated to abstain from voting. I've met some pretty rad anarchistic people recently who make a decent argument for non-engagement in a corrupt system as a political statement, and as an attempt to make themselves ungovernable. (I'm not on the same page, but I get where they are coming from)
  6. Education and access to information (or lack thereof) may result in disinterest and disengagement that is not willful. Don't think that this is accidental. Why do you think governments don't really seem to care when there are low voter turn-outs? The system which discourages your participation resulted in their power!
  7. There are plenty of people who feel as though not a single politician represents their views and values. It is notable that our public figures tend to be wealthy, white, male, English-speaking, of Western European descent, and at least slightly right leaning.
So, when I wrote that letter 6 years ago, I had not fully considered the implications of what I was saying. I was young, uneducated, and less critical than I am today. 

Thanks for hearing me out, folks.

Happy Monday, from a woman who makes mistakes, but is always learning! 

-J

No comments:

Post a Comment