home  re. Canadians know votes don't count (letter - Nov. 23) June Macdonald is wrong when she says that votes don't count. Granted, our antiquated first-past-the-post system is a terrible voting system, but every vote still counts for something. For example, in federal elections, every vote received provides funding to the party. And if a candidate gets more than 10% of the vote, they get their deposit back. They also become eligible for rebates on their campaign expenses. In short, your vote goes towards determining who gets thousands of dollars toward the next campaign. Even if you don't win in a particular riding, if you are part of an identifiable voting block (e.g. youth, environmentalists, Jamaican-Canadians, etc.), politicians will attempt to win your support. By not voting, you are ensuring that your issues remain marginalized. Those who say there is no point are simply making sure their prophecy is fulfilled. With almost half of Canadians not voting, if everyone who wanted a particular candidate or party to win actually went out and voted, they would probably get their wish. Gary Dale |