Too many Canadians don’t vote. Too many of us feel our vote doesn’t matter, that it won’t make a difference.
OPINION: Encouraging voter turnout in the federal election
Martha Hall Findlay, Director and James S. and Barbara A. Palmer Chair at the School of Public Policy
This article was originally published in the Calgary Herald as an opinion piece from Martha Hall Findlay. To view the original article click here.
But it does matter. Now more than ever.
For all the Canadians who have hung out flags, who are buying Canadian products, who are worried about Donald Trump, our economic future and how Canada manages given the state of the world, voting is right up there as a patriotic action to be taken.
Every vote does, in fact, count. It counts not just to elect a government and members of Parliament but as a personal expression of belief in Canada. And democracy.
It’s easy to offer motherhood assertions about how voting is one of the most important rights citizens have in democratic countries. Still, that sentiment takes on more meaning and severity when the foundations of our society — and indeed democracy — are threatened.
There are many people in the United States who didn’t vote, and now wish they had.
This is the most important federal election in decades. As Canadians, casting a vote can also send a message to the world.
In recent decades, voter turnout, often considered an important sign of the vitality of a democracy, has been decreasing globally. Canada has a long history of voter apathy. Voter turnout was 62.2 per cent in the 2022 federal election, 59.9 per cent in the 2023 Alberta election and 46.6 per cent in the 2021 municipal election in Calgary.
It’s not a new issue. And it’s not limited to Canada.
For the first time in two decades, the number of countries worldwide considered democracies by The Varieties of Democracy project at Sweden’s University of Gothenburg has fallen below the number considered to be autocracies, 88 versus 91.
It’s worth repeating — there are now more autocracies in the world than democracies — and that doesn’t even count what seems to be happening south of the border. It’s a worrying trend, to say the least.
Low voter turnout in elections has negative consequences for countries, from decreased legitimacy of governments to the marginalization of minority groups. It allows governments to be less responsive to the priorities and best interests of citizens.
There are many reasons for voter apathy, but we can no longer afford inaction. The recent shock to our political, economic and social order may have been what we need to shake Canadians out of our collective indifference.
Like many others, I have been impressed by the outpouring of national pride in response to the extraordinary threats to our economy and sovereignty. Casting a vote — regardless of who it is for — is something both tangible and symbolic.
We also can’t stop there.
We’ve had elections in Canada focused on trade with the U.S. in 1891, 1911 and 1988. This time, it is about more than how we navigate a punishing tariff war triggered by the Trump Administration. This time, it is about Canada. It’s about who we are as a country and where we are going.
These issues are so important that the School of Public Policy has added Canadian Governance Policy as an area of focus, with Dr. Anthony Sayers as director. Among other things, we track information on every federal, provincial and territorial election since 1867 as we look to strengthen Canadian democracy, better understand how we govern ourselves and find ways to do it more effectively.
This call to action for our country is not simply about how we fight Trump’s tariffs or even his musings on the latest country he wants to take over.
It is about how we make sure we never get into a position of such dependence again. It must now be about getting our own house in order, how we make our economy more productive, how we strengthen our military. Those are only some of the issues facing Canada, yet they are important ones — and they will not get resolved in this election unless people bring them up and continue to address them.
We are seeing the patriotism. We are seeing this movement of standing up for Canada.
I first got into politics because I wanted to make a difference, to achieve the best economic and social prosperity possible in the country that I continue to believe is an incredible place to live.
Today, one of the simplest and most impactful ways to make a difference is to let the world know that I vote for Canada.
Martha Hall Findlay is director of the School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary, the James S. and Barbara A. Palmer chair in public policy and former member of Parliament.