Although I don’t currently live in Canada, I’m still voting in the election on the 28th of April. Once I heard that the election was happening, I requested a ballot. I wanted to see how the process would work since I would receive the ballot before the final candidates in each riding were announced.
I got my voting package on Monday. I had to go online to see who the candidates were in my riding and then write the candidate I was voting for on the ballot. The kit came with three envelopes: one to put the ballot in, one to sign and date, and the envelope to return the ballot to the office, where my vote would be counted.
It was a pretty straightforward process, and I will courier the ballot today to ensure it arrives on time. I’m proud to say I’ve never missed voting in a Federal election. I was so caught up at the beginning of the year with the opening of Treasure Buds & Records that I completely missed the provincial election in February.
I was excited to cast my first vote when I was 19. For me, it was a rite of passage into adulthood, up there with getting my driver’s license and more important than having my first drink. 😉
Of course, when I first mentioned voting, people told me I could go to the Canadian Embassy in Kingston. However, I didn’t want to travel for over two hours and line up to vote, so I chose to have the ballot mailed to me. The only challenge will be making sure it gets there on time.
Even though I’m not in Canada, I’m still staying informed on the issues and where each candidate stands. I even took a survey to confirm which party I was aligned with on the issues.
I’m not paying too much attention to the polls. I learned from last year’s US elections that the polls don’t really mean much when it comes to predicting a winner, and anything can happen, so I’m trying to manage my expectations.
I don’t know who’s expected to win at the end of the month, but I feel better knowing that I made an effort to have my say, even from far away. 🩵