Fight election fatigue: vote!
TORONTO, ON - Voter fatigue and the lack of a hot-button issues aren't excuses to stay away from the ballot box this fall.
Ontario residents face their third election in less than a year: in 2010 they voted in a federal election in May and a municipal election in November. They go to the polls to decide on a provincial government on October 6.
"It's been a different kind of election," says Brenda Hodgson, Ontario provincial director for Nation At Prayer. The Pickering-based organization both prays for and with elected officials at all levels of government and encourages Canadians to do the same. Referring to the election fatigue, Hodgson says it's "almost election overload.
"As Christians there are issues we need to care about: the homeless, mental health issues, hospitalization, etc.
"It's our responsibility to vote," says Hodgson. "If you don't vote, you don't have a voice."
Evangelical Fellowship of Canada president Bruce Clemenger finds it ironic that one of the levels of government which affects people the directly is often neglected by voters.
"In terms of our daily lives, municipal decisions affect us the most directly and second are provincial decisions," says Clemenger. "We often forget the provincial government is responsible for health care and education. The federal government is involved because of its spending power but it's the province that makes polices that have the immediate and direct affect on our lives."
Challenging issues
One of the current challenges is, at deadline, the hot-button or defining issue of the campaign hadn't been decided. Political pundits often feel the real Ontario election campaign begins after Labour Day.
But a key issue can decide the fate of an election as Robert Senechal knows. A former pastor, Senechal lost the 2007 election as a Guelph's Progressive Conservative candidate when the debate on funding for faith-based schools sunk PC leader John Tory's campaign.
Senechal hasn't seen the hot-button issue arise yet for the current election but notes issues such as the financial health of the province is an issue Christians need to be concerned about.
"If we don't get spending in control, our valued social programs, health care and education will all be compromised," says Senechal.
"Hot-button issues arise outside of elections as much as during," notes Clemenger citing the example of a Toronto school letting Muslim students hold imam-led prayer services in its cafeteria - which lead to a heated debate over the appropriateness of religious observance in schools earlier this spring.
Get involved
Clemenger encourages Christians to get involved in the political process.
"This is the perfect time for people and churches to get to know candidates," he says. "It's your chance to put issues on their agenda and tell them what's important to you."
Hodgson encourages Christians to get to know the issues, the political parties and prayerfully decide how to vote.
"As Christians we need to seek out what the issues are and where we see Christ in terms of how He would lead," she says. "We need to look at each election as a defining moment.
"Even if our involvement is just at the ballot box, that's good," says Hodgson.
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