This year is my first time voting. Politics is something I’ve always been interested in. I feel like I’ve been preparing for years to exercise my civic duty and vote on who will be leading my city, province, and country. With both the federal and Ontario provincial elections coming and a lot of new adults ready to vote, it may not be apparent yet who you want to vote for. Instead of deeming yourself unprepared to vote, follow these tips to educate yourself and get ready to vote on February 27th for the next premier of Ontario (federal election coming soon!) While I am not an expert, these are just a few things I have been doing to feel prepared.
- Read the news
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A journalist’s whole job and purpose is to educate YOU. Journalists spend hundreds of hours coming through governmental documents, budgets, speeches, committees- you name it, they’ve looked at it. Then, they spend more hours translating it into easily digestible and reputable sources for the public to read and understand. If you don’t want to buy a news subscription, no problem! The CBC and CTV are free to watch and listen to on their websites. You can even get apps to get news through your phone.
News agencies will often discuss campaign promises, candidates’ past decisions, and other information around election time. This will help you learn more about the candidate from an unbiased source rather than directly from the candidate’s campaign.
- Visit elections Ontario/Elections Canada
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Elections Ontario is a nonpartisan voting website that provides all the information you need to know. It will tell you your eligibility, how to vote, how to register, election candidates, and more. While new sites will give you information on who to vote for, election sites will give you resources on how to vote. Sometimes, the “how” can be the most daunting part.
- Talk to your parents.
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Your parents have probably been voting for over 20 years. They went through the same confused voting stage as you! You can talk to them about who they vote for, how they get information on candidates, and more. For me, they are trusted people I can go to who I know will not judge me for my political opinion.
- Talk to a friend your age
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If talking to your parents isn’t an option, you can talk to someone your age that you trust and who is voting in the next election. Voting shouldn’t be taboo. You don’t have to share who you are voting for, but you should feel comfortable talking through the process of choosing a candidate. You can also go to the polls with a friend!
- STILL NOT CONVINCED? a feminist reason to vote
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If you still aren’t convinced, and if you are a woman, think about the fact that some women only got the right to vote in 1918 in a federal election. Asian Canadian women only began voting in 1948. Indigenous women only got the right to vote in 1960. All women only began voting 65 years ago. As you head to the polls, think about those women that fought hard for equal opportunity and say in politics! Now, you get a say because of them.
Good luck and happy voting!