I've not long returned from voting in the St. John's Municipal Elections - Ward 2. I didn't bother to vote via mail this time around, but I did get out there today. There's something I like about going out to vote on election day anyway, and it was super simple. I even had to register, and that was quick too. In and out in a jiffy.I'm not going to tell you who I voted for, however, I will encourage all the locals, wherever you are in the Province, to get out there and vote if you haven't done so yet. The polls are open until 8pm local time, so there should be plenty of opportunity to get out there some time today. This is the most important level of Government afterall. These people who we elect today will make decisions that affect our lives most directly, on the micro level. This micro level, I believe, is the most important level. Yes, we live in a globalized world, a nationalized world, and many central macro decisions affect us all greatly. But on a micro level, it's the closest to home decisions that affects day to day lives the most. With these local elections, we have a chance to choose who can best represent the needs locally. It's pretty important stuff I think.
I personally continue to hope that maybe, just maybe, these people we chose to represent us will help inspire macro level changes. To maybe help institute better decision making methods - ones that focus more on participatory democracy? Or, maybe those we choose this time around will help bring focus to the principle of adjacency, giving the most power, the most decision making responsibility, to those who are most affected locally? Perhaps these people we choose today can help shift focus to decentralization, to try and gain more power locally, for those people they most directly represent?
Or, you know, whatever it is that you all desire. Those are just my thoughts at the moment, as I ponder about democracy. All I really think currently, is that it all starts with a vote. This is our system. We should put it to use.
When we are done choosing, however, we should not stop there; we should then continue to participate with the people we chose, to help them better our most micro level needs and desires. Participatory democracy begins with participation, afterall.
Congratulations and good luck to all candidates!
Image from stjohns.ca.
