If I could have voted in this election it would have been in support of the NDP or Green Party. Before taking the vote compass quiz I didn't really have a clear idea on who I would vote for, but after, I noticed that my views fall more towards the NDP and Green Party. Whoever the party leader is at the time would also play a major part in my vote. I don't have much trust in Adrian Dix, but I think that the NDP would have been a positive change of pace for British Columbia.
In a study done on young voters, twice as many people said that they would vote for NDP, but many young voters did not show up at the polls. In a opinion survey done a few years back, Christy Clark was declared one of the worst premiers in the country. I think the majority of the public were in support of NDP, but many of them just didn't vote.
There are many factors that contribute to the lack of voters in BC. A large factor is that Canadian politics is barely covered in school, so when future voters graduate they do not have a clear idea on what the parties stand for making them not confident to vote. The education system needs to put more effort in making students politically informed and aware and emphasize the importance of voting. Another one is that young people are not convinced that their vote matters, especially in the big scheme of things. It is true that one individual vote does not make a large impact, but as a whole young people are a very important demographic. The predictions of a landslide victory for NDP may have also played a role in the lack of voters and the elections outcome. This could have made NDP voters less compelled to vote because they felt as though the election was already decided. But I think the election turnout as it did because the Liberals had a stronger campaign and Christy Clark was accepted as more charismatic by the public, even though she proved how trust worthy she really was with their party's Ethnic-gate strategy.
To raise the turnout of voters and get a better representation of the population, Canada should considered adopting the Compulsory voting system. In this system it is mandatory for any eligible voters to attend a polling place on voting day and vote. There are penalties ranging from fines to community service for anyone who doesn't vote. However, there is exception for citizens who are outside of the country or ill. I think a simpler solution would be to pay more attention on informing the youth about politics so that they are more encouraged to vote.
There are many factors that contribute to the lack of voters in BC. A large factor is that Canadian politics is barely covered in school, so when future voters graduate they do not have a clear idea on what the parties stand for making them not confident to vote. The education system needs to put more effort in making students politically informed and aware and emphasize the importance of voting. Another one is that young people are not convinced that their vote matters, especially in the big scheme of things. It is true that one individual vote does not make a large impact, but as a whole young people are a very important demographic. The predictions of a landslide victory for NDP may have also played a role in the lack of voters and the elections outcome. This could have made NDP voters less compelled to vote because they felt as though the election was already decided. But I think the election turnout as it did because the Liberals had a stronger campaign and Christy Clark was accepted as more charismatic by the public, even though she proved how trust worthy she really was with their party's Ethnic-gate strategy.
To raise the turnout of voters and get a better representation of the population, Canada should considered adopting the Compulsory voting system. In this system it is mandatory for any eligible voters to attend a polling place on voting day and vote. There are penalties ranging from fines to community service for anyone who doesn't vote. However, there is exception for citizens who are outside of the country or ill. I think a simpler solution would be to pay more attention on informing the youth about politics so that they are more encouraged to vote.
SOURCES:
http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/b-c-s-political-parties-chase-young-voters-as-election-battle-heats-up-1.175030
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/bcvotes2013/votecompass
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compulsory_voting
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2013/05/15/bc-election-pollsters-wrong.html
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