Today was voting day in the 2008 Canadian Federal Election. I just got back from voting, and thankfully the polling station was nearby (just as with the Ontario Provincial Election last year), being only a five-minute walk away from my building.

I headed over there right after work and was surprised to see that the polling station was not busy at all. It was in the gymnasium of a secondary school and I was the only person voting at the time. (Though I did see people coming in on my way out) Perhaps this was to be expected, as Belleville is a community with quite a few retirees who probably voted earlier in the day.

The staff were quite courteous and made the process as simple as possible, which is especially important for older voters. I’m quite thankful to have Elections Canada overseeing the vote in Canada, and I just can’t imagine why they don’t have such standards in the US, which undoubtedly contributed to the controversy surrounding the 2000 Presidential elections.

This election has also been one with a great presence on the Internet, much to my liking. The Internet is already a place that many turn to for their daily fix of news, information and commentary. Many, such as myself, are already using it as their prime source of news, having grown tired of traditional media. Even my Mom, a self-described computer-illiterate, has taken to using YouTube for elections updates, albeit through the CBC Channel.

Speaking of the CBC, their coverage has been pretty decent, but more importantly, they’ve launched a massive effort to get local with their elections coverage. They’ve nicely put together a page with all the ridings, each listing the riding’s profile, the candidates’ profiles, the 2006 election results and a message board, which they mistakenly describe as a “blog”.

It’s a step in the right direction, but could stand to be more interactive and even more local. For example, a dedicated reporter for each riding could update a real blog about the issues for that riding. A calendar could also provide details about upcoming events, such as candidates’ debates. Of course, all of this information is already available online, but aggregating it could be of some value. People want web sites and services to be local, offering information that’s directly relevant to them and their community, and no where is this more important than during elections.

Well, today was the 2007 Ontario Provincial Election, and though voter turnout was light early on, things are expected to pick up as people show up to vote after their workday. Besides being a provincial election with all the usual major issues, there is another important decision facing voters – the referendum on whether to change the electoral system from the current first-past-the-post riding system to the mixed-member proportional system that’s being advocated.

Mixed-Member proportional would aim to have the number of seats a political party received be closer to the total number votes they received; in this way, the elected body would better represent the votes of the total population. However, this may present difficulties in geographically diverse areas, or areas where the population densities widely vary.

Overall, voting went well, at least in my electoral district. Though I recently moved and hadn’t received updated ID with my new address or a voter registration card, I was able to register to vote at the polling both using photo ID and a paystub made out to my new address. The process was pain-free. Additionally, the polling station was located in the lobby of my apartment, so not voting would’ve really been an affront to the electoral system, or an extreme bow to laziness on my part. I still don’t understand why some countries would want to use electronic voting, when here in Canada paper-voting has always been used and hopefully will continue to be used. Sometimes marking an ‘X’ on a piece of paper is just so simple that it works.

This is also the first time that candidates’ political parties are being listed on the ballet besides their names, something that strikes me as odd. Though, I guess you should be informed enough as to know which candidate represents what political party.