h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

17.94 %! That's the latest estimate of voter turnout in today's municipal election! Of the three levels of government we get to elect here in Canada (Federal, Provincial, Municipal), one would think that the one that actually impacts people's daily life (Municipal) would actually get people out to exercise their franchise. But, no. The vast majority of people didn't even bother walking a block and a half to mark a piece of paper in an attempt to determine their future.

I managed, in the course of my daily duties, to drop in on voting stations in two wards. In my home ward, where there were fifteen candidates for councilor, voters and volunteers were from across the demographic board (actually, there was a marked deficit of male volunteers). There seemed to be a brisk turnout (I was voter # 22 in my ward) in both wards I visited, although in ward 6 there seemed to be an impressive abundance of gray hair in the population.

What the hell is it?! How hard is it to walk a block and a half and mark a bit of paper? As Old Fascist Heinlein said, maybe there's nobody you want to vote for, but surely there's someone you want to vote against. Good Gravy, can't we at least make it to one fifth of the population?!

I'm horrified.





(Okay. I know that Heinlein wasn't *really* a fascist. It's a common error. Critics of Ezra Pound often make the same mistake. Pound and Heinlein weren't fascists: they were Social Crediters. If more critics of Pound and Heinlein were gray-hairs from Alberta, this fact would be much more clear.)

I'm disgusted!

People obviously don't realize how incredibly fortunate they are to live in a democracy.

Apathetic!

Okay, the new estimate is 26.8%. I'm still ashamed.

Required reading for those who cannot be bothered to vote...

http://www.richarddawkins.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=25015

I had to stop reading.