Mystery Candidates 🤷‍♀️

By Tracy Schruder

As someone who absolutely exercises my right to vote in elections, I’ve come to realize that the process can be quite frustrating. One major drawback for me is the lengthy ballot filled with names of people I’ve never met or heard of. I firmly believe that there are too many politicians and government bureaucrats, and this results in a system that feels impersonal.

What bothers me is that we’re expected to be loyal to a party – Liberal, Conservative, NDP, etc. – but often times, I don’t entirely agree with the person’s platform running municipally, provincially, or federally. I might like someone from another party, but the system doesn’t always allow for that nuance. About 60% of the times I’ve voted, I had no idea who the people were on my ballot. I had to rely on the staff members at the voting polls to guide me, which doesn’t always feel trustworthy.

Voting is a personal and private matter, which is why we have a voter’s booth – to ensure our choices remain confidential. It’s no one’s business who I vote for, and I was shocked to receive text messages from government campaigners asking me who I was voting for. Not only is this invasive, but I also have no idea how they got my cell phone number. This kind of communication shouldn’t be allowed; it’s an overstep of boundaries.

I wish candidates would campaign more personally, maybe by calling me on my land line or knocking on my door, to secure my vote by telling me what they’ll do for my community if elected. This would make the process feel more authentic and less confusing. As it stands, I’m left questioning the effectiveness of our electoral system and wondering how we can make it better.