To the polling station, Canucks!

There is no excuse not to vote, people. In the general election on January 23rd, each and every one of you who is eligible to vote (this means you, my parka-clad Canadian friends) ought to be there behind that little curtain, marking your X. In case you are wondering, I voted by mail, which involved sending information by both fax and the post, and fussing with three different envelopes to mail the actual vote. I went to a lot of trouble, and you just have to walk down the street, so let me restate the point: you have no excuse!

This election is particularly contentious due to the scandals plaguing the Grits, the rise of the Tories despite their leader’s lack of charisma, and the NDP continuing to play the underdog despite their leader’s abundant charisma. If you live in Quebec, you also have the option of voting for the Bloc.

There is plenty of information out there to help you decide how you should cast your vote. One useful tool is the “Voting By Issue” quiz. You may be surprised when you receive your results; perhaps you have been voting reflexively lately and it could be useful to refresh yourself about what the current leaders are saying about the issues.

You may be living in fear of a Conservative majority, or preparing to celebrate in the event of a Conservative majority. In either case, I highly recommend checking out Rick Mercer’s speculations on what a Conservative cabinet might look like. As always, Rick’s observations are very entertaining, and don’t pull any punches.

If you’re here reading this blog, chances are you also have an interest in the arts, since that is mostly what I write about. In that case (or perhaps in any case) you should check out what the Canadian Arts Coalition has to say at the Vote Arts 2006 website.

Happy voting.