Why You Should Vote

This coming Monday, October 19th, is a very important day for Canada. This is the day that the federal election is going to be held. This is the day that Canadian citizens get to cast their vote to elect the candidate in which they believe will best run this country.So why do so many people choose not to vote?If you’re intimidated by the whole voting experience, take 5 minutes out of your time and visit: www.elections.ca. This website will give you all the information you need to know about registering online and when and where to vote, much better than I can. There is even a section marked for first time voters and students — it doesn’t get much simpler than that.If you’ve decided not to vote because you don’t understand politics or the candidates that are in the running (don’t worry, I’m in the same boat when it comes to politics), I assure you that there is a way to inform yourself. Using your trustee sidekick Google, you can quite literally type in “who should I vote for,” and the first search result will be from canada.isidewith.com. From there you can participate in a quiz that takes no more than 10 minutes and voila, they outline for you which political leader is most compatible to you and your beliefs.If you’re using the excuse that your vote doesn’t matter or if you think that voting doesn’t affect you, you are wrong. You presumably live in Canada, therefore you are affected every day by the decisions and policies put in place by our elected leader. Growing up knowing that we are guaranteed the right to vote as soon as we turn 18, sometimes we forget what a privilege it is to live in such a democracy.Last year, 61.1% of the eligible voting population voted, but only 38.8% of eligible voters between the ages of 18 and 24 cast their ballots. It doesn’t matter whether you want to vote for the Green party or re-elect Harper; every single vote does count and I urge you to take the 20 minute study break and vote in the federal election this coming Monday.Could you imagine the change that we could bring about if the youth of Canada used their voice to put forth their vote? There are more than 3 million youth who have the ability to change the Canadian government for the better of our future lives and our family’s future lives. So don’t say that your vote doesn’t matter, because when 3 million of us choose apathy, that’s 3 million people that didn’t take 20 minutes out of their day on October 19th to exercise their privilege and vote. Regardless of whom you want to elect, take advantage of and appreciate this wonderful country that we live in by using your vote as your voice.Yours creatively,Rylee Elfert, Events TeamImage: Huffington Post