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Image by Alistair Howard via Flickr

Today was election day in Canada.  As I always do, I exercised my right to vote.  Voting, for me, always has a feeling of pride attached to it.  Pride in a country that allows me to do so.  Pride that I got off my guff and did something, about something.  Even if my ballot was cast to a losing party.

Yes, I voted Green again.

There seems to be a number of camps on this.  The first would say, why did you bother, because we knew who would win anyways.  The second would say I wasted my vote: I should have done the math and voted for one of the most likely parties.

But I think, hey, it’s my right to decide.  If we always went with the winners, then, well, they’d always be the winners.  And there’s nothing wrong with hoping a whole bunch of other people with see it that way, too, someday.  Plus, I think it’s important for the winning party to know that a portion of Canada values the platform that another party puts forth.  And for the “underdog” party to know that it has supporters.  And, especially, for other voices to be heard.

Because, I value freedom of speech, and ideas.  Which, I think, is reflected nicely in an atmosphere where there are more than a couple of political parties to choose from.  So, although I knew the Green Party wasn’t going to win, I voted for them anyways.  Yes, they won’t be the direct decision makers.  But, I think their proportion of the popular vote still speaks.

Regardless, it feels good to vote Green.  It feels right.  So, I’ve gone and done it again.  Thrown my vote away.  Or voted for the loser.  Or, maybe, just maybe, voted with my heart.