Election Day

The 39th vote to choose the lesser of two evils in Canada takes place today.  I say only two evils (instead of 6) because there has never been a government from another party other than the Liberals and Conservatives.  This election’s combatants come in the form of a red-faced lying incumbent (Paul Martin, Liberal) and a guy much too willing to get into bed with George W. Bush (Stephen Harper, Conservative).

From what I understand, 23 million of us “eh?” speakers are eligible to vote.  This being the tightest election in years, I figure the turnout should be pretty good.  Even better news: there are no snowstorms in the forecast, so seniors will have no trouble turning out in record numbers.

For those unfamiliar with Canadian politics, Alberta is not the place for anyone not voting Conservative.  Unfortunately, that’s where I find myself…in a riding historically dominated by the evil blue party.  Is my vote basically useless?  Yes.  Does this create voter apathy amongst a majority of university students who tend to be a lot more liberal?  Yes.  Does election reform need to be seriously considered if another minority government is selected?  Absolutely.  This whole thing won’t stop me from voting and I hope other students like me follow suit.

My prediction for this evening:

Conservatives – 121
Liberals – 110
Bloc – 43
NDP – 30
Independent – 4

Stay tuned for hour-by-hour election coverage starting sometime later today.