Sheridan student meet ballot, ballot meet Sheridan student

Here's a piece that I have just finished for Sheridan's magazine, TRAVIS, and their next issue on student elections... enjoy!

Make your pick: dictatorship, communism, or democracy. Chances are, unless you a) hold a nightly vigil in remembrance of the U.S.S.R b) publicly berate Stephen Harper for not following the ways of Mussolini, or c) are confused about the significance of societal satirical lambastes, you chose the latter.

Congratulations, you now have the ability (as long as your age permits and you’re not incarcerated) to “have your voice heard,” and the chance to live up to Abe Lincoln quotes, such as: “The ballot is stronger than the bullet.” Well, more than likely, because you are presumably reading this magazine in Canada, democracy reigns.

Or does it?

To keep up with the theme of highly-influential, yet dead American presidents, let’s turn to the shrewdness of Tommy Jefferson. “A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine.” Well-put sir if I do say so myself, and just between you and me, I would’ve voted Jefferson.

But a paramount, yet elusive question arises in many democracies: Why don’t people vote if they are given the liberty? And to hone this question, what does low voting rates mean for democracy? Because hello dear Sheridan students, Canadians and world! Where’s your ballot? Replaced with a gun?

It’s not a new trend; for decades, voter turnout rates have been diminishing in established democracies, kinda like the exact opposite of the economic divide between the haves and the have-nots. For example, according to Elections Canada, 60.9 percent of voters cast a ballot in the 2004 general election. That’s not too bad right? Well, no, it actually shows a level of unprecedented voter apathy in Canadian history. Besides in 1898, which was a referendum, the voter turnout in 2004 was the lowest, get this: ever.

Understand that I’m not saying that Sheridan’s student elections are as significant or detrimental as Canada’s general elections, but that by not voting in general, you are tearing down the proverbial pillars of what we laud as democracy.

But, the problem is, you’re probably going to throw this magazine out, just like your vote.