As I left the polling station today in the village of Colchester, I had a hot flash. At first I dismissed it as yet another menopausal hormone rush but as the beads of perspiration cooled in my sagging cleavage, I began to realize that since I had just voted for a party with no hope of forming a government, I suffered from a more powerful malady – electoral dysfunction.
Sadly, there is little chance that I will learn at the end of the day that my riding will send someone to Ottawa who shares my political beliefs or vision for Canada. I may have the right to vote but with the current election system, my vote counts for little (if anything). No wonder only 60% of eligible voters even bother.
No wonder the 9th question in the Frequently Asked Questions of the Registration and Voting section of Elections Canada’s web site is: “Is someone allowed to eat a ballot?”
Canadians are starving for a change in our voting system.
So, as I sit in the comfort of my Lakeside Lair, washing down my calcium supplements with a creamy soy beverage, watching the election coverage I know that tonight I, like many other Canadians will go to bed hungry.