"Citizens in Canada not only have the right and privilege to vote, but a duty to do so responsibly."

Ever since the confederation of Canada in 1867, the country developed both a responsible and a representative government - a form of democracy. This gives the right for citizens to participate in politics and allows ALL legal citizens to vote for the candidate that they support. Currently, every citizen in Canada has the right to vote if they are 18 years of age or older on the General Voting Day for the election. However, we don’t simply have the privilege to vote, it is our duty to do so.

When a person votes, they are able to pick what they think is best for their future. Although lots of people say that becoming informed about the candidates is too time consuming, it is worth it. Voting means that you care about how your life and the society are going to develop. For example, if one is concerned about the environment, they can vote for a party that supports the development of green energy. Only when a candidate is elected, is he/she able to fulfill their promises made in their campaigns. Therefore, it is imperative for one to actually go vote for the party that they believe in.

Voting also ensures that the government is in balance. If a party wants to form the government, they would need to present their ideas and visions. To get more votes, their ideas would have to be more reasonable and appealing than those of other parties. This would keep the parties more honest and in check. If not a lot of people voted, it means that they don’t care about how their country is governed. Therefore, the government might be run by a small group of people who do not follow the wishes of the majority of the population. The biggest part of democracy is the right to vote; if no one cares about voting, do they even care about democracy?

By voting, one can create a trend that motivates others to vote as well. In the past election, there is only a 52% turnout rate. Nowadays, lots of young people do not really care and are not interested in politics. This is causing a problem because in the future, it would be these people running the country. If one young adult decides to talk about voting, lots of other people may become more informed and also decide to vote. In the end, that one person may bring lots of others to vote just because they mentioned about the election.

        Democracy is the most ideal form of government in the world. It provides equality and representation for all the citizens of a country. Voting – the main component of democracy – is to ensure that all of this is real. It is the mechanism that keeps democracy and dictatorship apart. It keeps governments more efficient and in check. Ultimately, it is the people’s responsibility to keep democracy alive in their country. Each ballot that is put into the box means another step to a more stable nation.