Getting The Vote Out!

Well, now those of us with dual citizenship and dual affinities have two elections to watch! Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, has dissolved Parliament and called an Election. 

Back in pre-historic times when I worked on elections in Toronto’s affluent North End, we pounded the pavement with low tech methods designed to get the vote out. This was in the early 60s. 

Let me explain briefly how we did that. 

First, each “canvasser” was handed a (paper) voting list, some campaign pamphlets and a couple of pencils. Each list probably covered two square city blocks. (North Toronto has “city blocks” – nice squares of established two and three storey homes on approximately 40 to 50 foot lots.) 

Each of us went up and down the sidewalks, walking up the paths and knocking on the front door of each house. 

Now, when I knocked on the door, I was ready. When the person opened the door, I said, 

“Hello, I am working for John Doe, your Progressive-Conservative candidate.” I handed the householder the piece of literature and stayed quiet to observe the other person’s reaction. 

There were three possible reactions: 

“I am not interested.” (Take that as maybe, uncommitted or not voting.) 

“I am voting Liberal. (Take that as a “NO”.) 

“Ah, yes, I really like that guy and I am going to vote for him! (Take that as a “YES”.) 

Now, if the person wanted to chat about the PC candidate, of course, I stayed and probably told them where the next rally would be. I probably showed the telephone number on the brochure so they could phone, offering support for candidate in a more industrious way. 

After the householder closed the door and I had walked down the steps and down the path to the sidewalk, I marked my Voter’s List with the appropriate “uncommitted”, definite “NO’ or definite “YES”. 

After doing the canvass, the Voter’s Lists were turned in and someone else at Party Headquarters would make a copy (probably manually) on another Voters List of my comments. A worker would look up the telephone numbers, note them beside the possible PC voters’ names, and the Voter’s Lists were kept for Election Day. 

On Election Day, we had workers who were there, marking off who had voted. We were right there. I have to tell you that we did not know who they voted for but if it was someone we had shown as likely to vote PC, which was a plus! 

Now, about 2:00 to 3:00 o’clock in the afternoon, we had more workers ready to “get the vote out”. We would look at the people who had been assessed as voting PC and if some had not yet voted, we telephoned them. 

“This is Mary from Mr. Doe’s office and we notice you have not yet voted! Could we give you a ride to your polling place?” 

For most people this was really just a reminder, and the response was generally that when hubby came home, they were going to vote together. 

Some people, especially seniors, indicated that they would be happy to be picked up and driven to the polling station where they would vote (hopefully for our candidate.) 

Then, there was my Aunt Helen. I’m pretty sure she was a staunch Liberal. She would tell me the next day that she had voted and indicated she had been driven to the poll. When I would ask her who drove her to vote, she would answer, 

“The party with the most handsome drivers, of course!” 

You gotta love that answer. However, it also shows that the system may not have been flawless! 

My point is that all the campaigning and all the opinion polls will not determine who gets voted in. The bottom line is getting the people to vote. That means absentee ballots for those away at school, early voting for those in retirement communities and those who know they will be away. We also must get young people now eligible to vote to register and reminding them to actually get out to vote! 

Barack Obama has a history of getting young people and new citizens registered. He has done this in the past and is doing it now! So, it behooves Mr. McCain’s people to do the same thing. 

Getting the Vote Out – That is how to be elected President of the United States!

Voting - That's a Personal Thing, Eh?

Canadian Government is different from the American system – not better necessarily, just different. I sure don’t intend to give you all the details except to say that it is patterned after the British system. Also, I should let you know that there are not fixed four year terms. A leader can be turfed out by a vote of “non-confidence”. This is vote is instigated by the opposition, which may or may not be at any current time, “Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition”. Rather interesting system for getting rid of a poor leader, don’t you think?

 

In my time there has been a woman (Kim Campbell) who was in office 132 days (1993) and at least two men who were “asked to leave” (Joe Clark and Paul Martin). These were elected, not taking over terms of other Prime Ministers.

 

To balance it off, Pierre Elliott Trudeau (just enough English, just enough French) served 15 years, 164 days. He “brought home the Canadian Constitution” and put Canada on the map. He also is remembered for his various shenanigans which made him a very colorful Prime Minister. Off the top, I recall him dating Barbara Streisand and uttering an obscenity in the House. He swore in a House of Parliament? Ah, yes, but he said that what he said was – get this, Americans – “Fuddle Duddle!” Whoa! Sadly, the breakdown of his marriage was played out on print front pages and national television.

 

I am only telling you a little of what I was used to in Canada. I voted for the person I liked at the time and was not obliged to tell anybody. I did not have a political party name stamped on a card to hand to a Poll Worker.

 

So, after I became an American Citizen, and could vote, imagine my surprise (when we parked and started walking toward the Voting Station) to be approached by a local TV reporter standing beside a camera on tripod.

 

The fellow asked me how I felt about George W. Bush and I lobbied with talk of the misfortunes of having 9-11 and the Iraq war on his watch. When the reporter looked a little puzzled, I launched into the fact that this President, “Is a fine Christian man”.

 

Then he asked exactly who I would be voting for and I said I had never had to answer that in Canada. He turned off his camera, looked around to see there was only Hubby left to interview and said to Hubby,

 

“What am I going to do with that?”

 

I love it! My quote about Mr. Bush was used on the 5, 6 and 10 o’clock news and the bit about not having to answer, was edited out.

 

I am still learning about the American system of 2 four year terms max and not less than 4 years unless you are impeached which would be a little stronger than a vote of non-confidence!

 

Hubby is still trying to help me to understand this straight two party system and more than that just who might be voting for whom.

 

Like I said, “Voting, that’s a personal thing, eh?”