Voter Turnout, Part One: Maybe we're asking the wrong question?

This week's provincial election voter turnout was 49.2%. 

This year's federal election voter turnout was 61.1%. 

Last autumn's municipal election voter turnout was roughly 40%. 

Which naturally begs the question 'Why don't people vote?'

Going back to the title of this editorial, maybe we're asking the wrong question. Maybe we should be asking: 

'Why do people vote?'

Why do some people let themselves go/overeat/sedentary themselves into deleterious physical states while others adopt healthy activity & fitness-based lifestyles?

Why do some people smoke, while others don't smoke?

Why do some people consciously tread unstable, ill-advised paths where their personal financial behaviour is concerned, while others consciously base their behaviour on thrift, on practicality and common sense?

Why don't people vote...while others do?

The list of Reasons Why People Don't Vote can contain some or all of the following:

-A sense of embedded cynicism about governance, period. That is, about 'politics'. About the broken promises, about the lying, about the scandals...about the arrogance of those in power and the mud-slinging of those attempting to be in power...

-A sense of hopelessness. "Why bother, it's not like me voting actually matters...?"

-A sense of spite in the face of the loss of 'control'. "Screw them! I'm just not going to! That'll show 'em!'

-A sense of desperation. "Life in general sucks so badly right now, my life sucks so badly right now that I just don't have the time or energy. I've more important things to be doing with both."

-A sense of apartness, of misunderstanding of how the system works, of alienation (due to culture, due to relocation, etc). 

-A sense of fatigue. Hamilton has gone through three elections in less than a year. 

All of these are fine and good. 

But maybe what's more important is noting why those who voted, did so.

Why does the person whose fitness means something to them get up extra early to fit in a trip to the gym or head out for a run in the dark?

Why does the person who's bombarded with endless media focusing on acquisiton, on materialism, on 'self-validation-by-way-of-purchasing' not partake, not run up their credit-card debt, but instead find gratification in other areas of their lives-lived?

Why does the person who votes...who may privately acknowledge their cynicism, their frustration, their fatigue...actually make the effort?

Why does the person pick up garbage when walking down residential streets, especially when he surely didn't put it there?

There are lots of ways I could frame the Town Halls Hamilton endeavour. Explain what it's based on. 'Increasing the relationship of engagement between residents and their Councillors.' 'Raising the level of debate in the city.' 'Improving the sense of community within Hamilton.'

But I think what it all comes down to is tied into 'lifestyle choices', it's tied into 'mindset', it's tied into 'value system':

Respect. 

Whether it's the person wanting to be the best they can be fitness- and health-wise, the person wanting to ensure financial solvency, the person who develops informed, qualified opinions about candidates and then votes accordingly...or the person who goes to the effort of negating the effects of littering, I believe that at the core, is a sense of respect. 

I've written about this elsewhere, that there's a uniform, organis process that takes place: respect of self, respect of family, respect of neighbourhood, respect of community...respect of city. 

I don't think we can be looking at authentically increasing voter turnout from the top-down. 

You can't mandate health and fitness. You can provide incentives, you can provide the best facilities and access...but you can't mandate it. 

You can't mandate sound personal finance. (Unforuntately, within the world we've created, you can't even incentivize it. Well, you could...but because of the players, and the fact that we constructed a consumer/consuming society...it's not going to happen.)

You can't mandate voting. (Yeah, I know; there are all kinds of countries the world over that have 'manditory voting'. To me that muddies the purpose, the intent, or at least what I see as the ultimate goal in voting: getting people to make informed, responsible decisions. To me all mandatory voting does is force people to mark their 'X', pull their lever, whatever. And having that as a target just seems so...sad.)

And clearly, you can't mandate people not to litter. (Not even in elementary school playgrounds, which actually astounds me every time I come across one.)

All you can do is to put whatever energies and efforts deemed potential contributors-to-the-good into play...mining respect...and hope that there's a domino-effect, a ripple-effect...sometimes even a butterfly-effect.

I think we need to talk about this some more. 

M Adrian Brassington