Voted

[sabotabby]

I have never seen lineups like this. It took an hour (I know that's nothing in the US, but in Canada that's a very long time—you're usually in and out in 5-10 minutes for advance polls). Also it's Easter, and raining. The poll workers were stressed but the mood in the lineup was quite cheerful and chatty.

You do not get a sticker or a lollipop and I think that needs to change.

Comments

[dissectionist]

We just went to ours and then turned around and came home. (Our voting is a 5-min walk from our house, so it doesn’t make sense to wait for 30-45 mins to vote; we’ll just try again later.) Usually we just walk right in!

[sabotabby]

I've never not been able to just walk right in. It's a good sign, though.

[rdi]

We had about a 30 minute wait at ours, which was longer than I expected. But as someone in the lineup said, it’s an important election.

Not that all elections aren’t important, but this one feels particularly so.

[sabotabby]

That was the sentiment where I was, too.

[naomikritzer]

Canadians don't get stickers??? DANG.

(I know some US states do something fancy and state-specific, but in mine it's the standard red sticker that just says "I Voted." You could gussy that up with a little maple leaf and have a Canadian version with minimal redesign!)

[sabotabby]

We used to get stickers! They stopped doing them for some reason. I think we should get stickers again though; it would increase turnout.

[redbird]

For historical reasons, in the US they're allowed to hand out "I voted" stickers, but not lollipops or hot dogs or anything else that might count as an incentive to voting.

So we get places offering the occasional Election Day special, like free donuts, but they can't check whether the customer voted before giving them the donut.

[sabotabby]

What if the stickers are the glitter kind?

It's so weird that Trump and Elon can hand out checks for a million dollars but you can't hand out lollipops.

[springheel_jack]

Well, they can't, it's electoral fraud, but there's no law now, which has a number of downsides.

[sabotabby]

Yeah. It's not actually illegal here either. Ford can just hand out cash to people to vote for him.

[redbird]

Eln doesn't care about the law, or thinks the tradeoff is worth it; a Krispy Kreme donut shop or similar gains much less by giving out free donuts or coffee or such.

Those laws are decades-old, and were aimed at things like party bosses (Tammany Hall etc) giving people alcohol in return for votes: one shot of whisky per vote, not a huge check to one person. [I'm doing this from memory, which may be fuzzy on the details.]

[joymoose]

An elections Canada person was on The Big Story podcast and said there were stickers. I saw no stickers and feel robbed.

[sabotabby]

They lied. When I first got there they only had materials for one polling officer and they had to get on the phone and ask for more to be delivered.

[rafiwinters]

Here in the U.S. we are, or at least I am, wondering what will happen with your election. How do you think it's going to go?

[sabotabby]

I can't even speculate. Liberals are in majority territory, according to the polls, but a lot of people who will vote Tory don't want to admit that out loud. So I am still provisionally worried. I think the NDP will be crushed (not in the good Orange Crush way, in the bad "no official party status" way), but honestly they deserve it at this point for not being radical enough and suppressing the most politically progressive candidates.

It is clear that Trump's elections and policies have really hurt the Tories. PP established himself as in lock-step with Trump and represents the most radical end of the political spectrum. He's had to pivot and try to rebrand as less of an extremist, but this is challenging because he was very much an extremist a few months ago and people's memory isn't that short.

This all could turn out very well. The ideal scenario is usually a Liberal minority with the NDP holding the balance of power, but controversially, it might not be the ideal this time. What would be good is if the Tories are crushed so thoroughly that they need to do what no other far-right party in the Anglosphere has had to do, and shift the Overton window back towards the centre. This would cause a split in the party and we would once again end up with two right-wing parties, allowing a greater diversity of politics on the left as well. There's a non-zero chance that Poilievre loses his seat, which would also be great to see.

The bad outcome is that everyone is lying about who they're voting for, and/or Carney fails to stick the landing, and we end up with a Tory government. In which case, we are de facto the 51st state.

[rafiwinters]

Thanks for the details--not being sarcastic. I don't know enough about Canadian politics and am trying to learn more. I sincerely hope things turn out for the best. That might even help us...

Speaking on behalf of the reasonable (meaning: they are on my side) people in this country, I apologize for everything Trump and his pals are up to. I can't stand it. It is just awful, and getting worse every damn day.

[sabotabby]

Thanks. I hate that because I know so many good Americans, many of whom are directly endangered by the Trump regime, and they did everything they could do.

[rafiwinters]

We did. We did everything we could, and it still wasn't enough. Some people wanted Trump; some people just didn't want to vote for a woman of color; and some people just didn't vote. I don't understand that last batch AT ALL. I was taught early on that voting, the freedom to speak your mind, etc. etc., are privileges that not everyone in the world has. This, growing up when Russia was still the USSR.

[dissectionist]

I am kind of hoping that Jagmeet loses his seat too. He’s not Layton, he’s never going to be Layton, he’s been straight-up aiding the Tories recently, and he’s been the one at the helm while the NDP have been doing everything you mentioned. Time for someone else (and not Marit, who is also dodgy) to head the NDP. Maybe they can go in a better direction again.

[sabotabby]

I know, same. It's just a clear indication that they don't have any one. Layton, as much as I liked him, was a big slide towards abandoning workers and aiming for an educated professional and student class, of which there is just simply not enough to elect a government. So while many of the NDPers have ideals that I more closely align with, they end up being a vote-splitter that I can't even back comfortably for ideological reasons.

[dissectionist]

That is a sadly perfect way of putting it.

[sabotabby]

A protest vote is one thing when you agree with the party that has no chance of winning, but when I don't, I might as well vote for the lesser evil.

[ioplokon]

From the outside, it looks like they have the Obama problem. You do really well electorally because you have an exceptional candidate. Then try to keep up with the strategy that they had because, well, it's a winner. But actually people just really liked that specific person.

[sabotabby]

No, I think you're on to something. Layton moved the party farther than the right (Mulcair continued that, but not to the degree that people think). But Layton was successful because he was super likeable, charismatic, and smart. They haven't been able to re-capture that (except for a few times when they let Singh off his leash). People didn't want the rightward shift, they wanted the likeable guy.

[rdi]

I feel like Singh has done very little up until this election, when he’s suddenly become a bit of firebrand, probably because he’s got nothing lose by doing so because his head will be on the block afterwards anyway. Or do you think he’s been kept muzzled by the party bureaucracy?

[sabotabby]

He's had his moments where he's become a firebrand, but it's always in short bursts. I actually have no idea what he believes on a personal level.

[rdi]

In the event of a Liberal landslide I am kind of looking forward to the Night of the Long Knives that will ensure among the Conservatives, because half are going to be “we’re too far right” and the other half will be “we’re not far-right enough”, and hopefully the ensuing divisions will keep them from being a viable party of power for at least a couple more elections.

Seeing Polly Pocket/Incel Caillou (thanks dissectionist!) lose his seat would also be peak freude, untainted by even a hint of schaden. I would say the poor boy would have to get a real job, but the reality is he’ll just end up moving on to Thieving Harmer’s IDU or whatever it’s misleadingly called.

[sabotabby]

We can have a little schadenfreude as a treat. And a little bit of right-wing infighting. We've worked very hard and suffered a lot and deserve it.

[rdi]

I’m holding for a lot of right-wing infighting.

[dewline]

May it last for at least five generations.

[dagibbs]

This summary seems reasonably on-target to me.

[sabotabby]

Thanks. I get told I'm wrong a lot, lol.

[brittdreams]

As a non-Canadian trying to keep up with things, this explanation was incredibly helpful. Thank you, sabs!

[sabotabby]

I try! Keep in mine a lot of people would argue that I'm wrong about everything.

[brittdreams]

Eh, I'll take you and your insights over some randos on the internet any day of the week!

[ioplokon]

The people demand stickers!!

[sabotabby]

GLITTER STICKERS WHEN

[blogcutter]

Not sure how serious you are but honestly, in over 50 years of voting in Canadian elections (at all levels of government) I don't recall ONCE getting sticker or a lollypop or any form of prize whatsoever, nor do I want one!! Of course, it's possible I'm just getting old and forgetful ...

In my book, you should vote simply because it's the right thing to do, just like getting vaccinated, separating your garbage and recyclables, etc. Assuming you're eligible to vote, of course - if you're not, maybe chain yourself to the nearest railing, yell loudly and carry a big stick with an appropriate placard attached?

I plan to vote on election day and I'm hoping for sunshine and rainbows everywhere - but hold the lollipops, please!

[ioplokon]

The best way to get people to vote is for them to see and hear that other people have voted - particularly those in their community. That's the point of the stickers (also, fun!).

[sabotabby]

I am absolutely being silly, but I have gotten stickers at polls before! I remember we used to all get them and post Facebook selfies when we voted.

And yes, it's civic duty, but that clearly wasn't enough to get out the vote in the provincial election.

[dagibbs]

I posted a FB selfie beside a "Vote ->" sign. Without a sticker, it seemed the next-best choice.

[kore]

In my book, you should vote simply because it's the right thing to do, just like getting vaccinated

//cries

[sovay]

You do not get a sticker or a lollipop and I think that needs to change.

You should totally get stickers!

May it do what you want it to.

[sabotabby]

Let's hope we can turn back the tide of fascism.

[radiantfracture]

What kind of a lollipop do you want?

[sabotabby]

I'm not even sure if I like lollipops. Do they come in lime? I like most lime things. I'd have given it to ioplokon anyway as a "sorry you can't vote" consolation prize.

[china_shop]

*randomly butts in with obligatory lollipop icon*

[sabotabby]

Thank you for that.

[rdi]

I got couple of lollipop edibles a couple of Prides back. They were great for taking the edge off in a controlled way.

[dewline]

I think they do have different flavours, including lime. Looking into that.

[dewline]

Confirmed. Lime is indeed an option, depending on where you source your lollipops from.

https://candymanufacture.com/ranking-popular-lollipop-flavors-best-to-worst/

[radiantfracture]

They definitely come in lime. I'm just trying to find out if they come in not evil.

[sabotabby]

I have zero idea.

[springheel_jack]

[ioplokon]

Cogito ergo votio?

[sabotabby]

Ouch.

[dagibbs]

My wait was just over 20 minutes -- and I agree that felt long. An hour seems very long.

[sabotabby]

It was very long! But everyone was in good spirits and very kind to the poll workers as far as I could see.

[dagibbs]

I feel there is little reason to be hostile to poll-workers in Canada. It really feels like they're there to help you vote.

[sabotabby]

No reason at all, but people are often short when they're kept waiting.

[china_shop]

Is it a paper ballot or electronic voting? Just curious (and paranoid).

[sabotabby]

Paper, which I also haven't seen in awhile.

[china_shop]

Has it been electronic in the past? We've only ever had paper.

[sabotabby]

You always mark it on paper but in other elections (like the last one), they have a machine that automatically reads it. I complimented one of the poll workers on doing a great job despite the lack of resources, and she said, "we're using the best of 19th century technology!"

[dagibbs]

Paper ballot. And, I'm pretty sure, hand-counted.

[china_shop]

Oh good. I have all my fingers crossed for you!

[kore]

I hope hope hope for good news! The turnout sounds promising.

[sabotabby]

High turnouts are normally good for Team Not Fascist, so here's hoping.