Voting in Canada is not only a right that we have, but it is
also a privilege. It is as if some Canadians have chosen to forfeit that right,
causing the possibility that we may end up with a government that we do not
deserve. Over the past few years the idea of mandatory voting within Canada has
been looked at, and now needs to be examined even closer. With another election
right around the corner, the issue of whether voting in Canada should be
mandatory or not is a hot topic. Currently, voting itself is considered a civic
responsibility rather than an obligation, but that may change soon.
On one hand there is the opinion that votes against this new
law being put in place. If a law were to be made that voting is mandatory, you
could be charged with a fine for it. Those who oppose this idea think that by
trying to force people to vote, the turnout could produce an even deeper issue
of democratic conflict than we are already dealing with. It is possible for
government to be put in place simply because of a large number of uninformed
voters, voting because they are told they have to. In the long run forcing Canadian
citizens by law to vote could be seen as counter- productive in the long run,
in the eyes of some individuals.
“The words mandatory and voting should not be in the same
sentence”
On the other
hand, there is the argument that laws should be put in place to make voting
mandatory for all Canadian citizens. This opinion is also where my vote lies. I
feel as though a vote towards our government is a duty we have as Canadian citizens,
and it is the way we express how we feel. With this being said, those whom wish
not to vote should be able to express how they feel in a new way. As suggested
in the article posted below, it is proposed that a new option be added to each
ballot, “none of the above”. With this new option, it would be unnecessary for
any ballots to be spoiled, but rather know who does not agree with any of the
options provided. With this is would be clear who does not like the governments
running, rather than leaving those unidentified individuals votes in limbo.
Also, with mandatory voting some individuals may take it to heart and do a
little bit of research. For example, if you had an option of taking a quiz in
school most kids would opt out so they didn’t have to study. But, if that quiz
was mandatory, they would probably study rather than receive a bad mark.
Relating this to the election, if voting was mandatory, more people would step
up and take responsibility for their vote.
In
conclusion there are many arguments supporting both the mandatory vote and opposing
it. This is a topic that needs to be further explored and discussed in order to
find a solution to the problem. Sure the spoiling of ballots would not be as
common with the option of “none of the above”, yet with mandatory voting could
come a major outrage. Overall this controversial argument needs a lot of
looking into.
Kristina you have made it clear that you have done some of your own research on this topic and have related it in your post. You have written a very strong and clear introduction to introduce the topic you have chosen and have mentioned the current provincial election that is soon approaching. I enjoyed how you incorporated your own opinion on this subject and also had an example to support it. I find the idea of mandatory voting with a “none of the above” option very interesting as technically the individual’s voice isn’t making a difference in the election but still has an effect on the Canadian government. This is a great idea to get everyone involved with the decision of the government as every individual in Canada is governed by the municipal, provincial and federal government. You also did a good job at looking at both sides of the issue and incorporating quotes into your post. An idea for next time would be to have a separate paragraph for your opinion so it is clearer for the read to identify. You did an excellent job on this post!
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