Back in March I wrote why ranked ballots are better.
The "first-past-the-post" system we currently have forces people like me to vote strategically instead of voting for the person they'd like to lead. For example, those who wanted Olivia Chow to win, but were afraid a vote for Chow would help Doug Ford win, would be able to rank their candidates so a vote for Chow isn't a vote for Ford.
Our current first-past-the-post system forces many of us to vote strategically instead of for the party we want in power. Let's use my riding as an example.
Last election, the Conservative Party candidate won my riding with 40.26% of the vote. The Liberal Party got 34.04% and the NDP got 21.6%. The end result was another CPC MP, helping Stephen Harper stay in power.
It's looking like this is going to happen again. Most of us don't want Harper to win, but we're split between the NDP and Liberal Party. I know who I'd like to see win, but it's more important to me that we defeat the Conservative candidate in my riding. As a result, I will vote strategically. I will vote for the candidate with the best shot at beating the Conservative Party.
We're getting smarter. This time, we're organized. I've joined VoteTogether.ca and I urge you to as well. There's nothing wrong with voting strategically to serve the greater good. The current first-past-the-post voting system demands it.
