Election Day - City of Regina

The line-up spilled out of the old brick building onto the sidewalk. A lovely autumn day, sun shining, a light breeze and patience seemed to be in force. Edging slowly to the front doors of the school house, casual conversations and old friends sprouted from time to time. Once past the front doors, up the ancient stairs, I was astounded! The line-up was not only long, but had snaked around, in at least four rows in front of the auditorium. Still everyone was calm and patient. Gave us a chance to look at the beautiful old architecture that had been restored and honoured. Oak banisters and moldings, high, high ceilings, old photos of children in the gymnasium and class photos from a couple of decades ago - or more - when teachers were still in suits and ties. Today, classes were in and, seeing kids in the halls, I wondered if we made a good impression about elections and voting. Our long snaky lineup was all ages, smooth skinned young people, middle aged, young adults, and a fair amount of gray headed folks. 

In the last month, I voted in a few elections. In the last many years, I have voted in many, many more. I  have not ever been in such a long lineup: 45 minutes! And when I left, the line had spilled out onto the public sidewalk and was half way down the block. Was this an anomaly or an indicator that this group of voters were serious about this municipal election

“Sometimes the wheel turns slowly, but it turns,”

~ Lorne Michaels

I Voted Today

It is so easy to vote. 

Picking up the little pencil 

secured with string is easy.

An x beside a name isn’t hard. 

But getting to the voting booth 

is inconvenient. But are the candidates known to me? Sure there are other errands to do, 

but to include voting? 

I’ve been back in Regina since 2020. Taking the time to know the politicians has not been at the top of my list of things to do until this year. Listening to politicians vying for control ~ whether here or down south ~ 

shows them up. All cut from the same cloth. 

“I can fix it, you can’t’’

“Your ideas have no merit; mine are the best.” 

More grandiose, depending on the politician, 

but still the same. A lot of mud slinging with little substance.

It takes me back to a Monday night Explorers meeting 

in our church basement when I was about 13.

Odd that, in the 50’s, our leader was talking politics to us. 

She posed a question that has stayed with me through many elections:

“Who should you vote for ~ the man or the party?”  

There have always been women in politics, 

but it was not the norm. Today that question 

would read ‘the candidate or the party? 

So I listen to and watch debates. 

I want to see the candidates, 

I want to hear them and 

I want to witness their behaviour. 

Then I make my decision. 

Weeks ago it was the U.S. election

Today it was the Saskatchewan Provincial election. 

“If you don’t vote, you lose the right to complain.”

~ George Carlin

Which One?

Elastic bands, if stretched too far, will thin and finally let go. Sometimes with a stinging snap, sometimes with intent. Watching the U.S. election results tonight on CTV, the elastic that is political discourse has been stretched back and forth, in and out for too long and in too many ways. As a Canadian citizen, the outcome should be a slam dunk for my choice. Accessible health care and respect for the common man truly that drives any economy seems a no brainer choice. But then that’s just my opinion. I can only keep my fingers, toes and maybe even my eyes crossed for the elastic just to be set down, quieted down and with respect.

“You have very little morally persuasive power with 

people who can feel your underlying contempt.”

Martin Luther King Jr.

Post Election Shuffle

The election day shuffle has been completed. At least at the ballot box. Once the newly elected politicians shuffle their way to Ottawa and find their seats in the House, they can get down to the business of taking care of Canadians. There have been many pledges and promises made in the run up to the election. Some of them will be kept, some of them will not be kept but possibly none of them will followed be through in as timely as manner as most of us at home would prefer. But as we all know any bureaucracy moves slowly, and especially government when all the rules and regulations, laws and special interests are taken into consideration before the gavel sounds.

Sporadically, I followed the election results last night more than ever. (There’s that retirement benefit that keeps cropping up.) The best news, in my mind, from this election is that there were an increasing number of women running for this election. One report said that each of the parties have been more active in seeking out women to run for office. I have been unable to find, via a quick Google search, how many were actually elected this year. The individual that I voted for did not win the vote, however the individual that would have been my second choice did. It is pleasing that this male dominated balance is tipping albeit slowly. But that’s the way cultural changes happen ~ slowly and with the dedication of those who wish to foster change. Those of us at home will each have to decide what we can do within our own circles to be at least a tiny part of change.

My congratulations to all those that won in their riding and best wishes to those who were defeated, but are not down for the count. My gratitude to all those that volunteered, in whatever capacity. I hope to join your ranks in future.

“Somewhere inside of all of us is the power to change the world.”

~ Roald Dahl

Free and Clear

I had my chance and took it. The lineup went around the corner of the old red brick building. White hair, brown hair, purple hair, braids, bobs, dreadlocks and plain stringy hair. I approached the lineup warily, uncertain of what was attracting the men and women heads bowed to iPhones, with pack backs, briefcases and purses. ‘Let’s stay outside’ A disembodied voice drifted on the cool early evening air. What was going on? Was I in the right place? I checked the address I had received against the address on the building. It was right. But where were the signs? There. Up on the wall. A slim blue sign with little letters. Elections BC. As the line shuffled forward to the corner of the building another sign, square and black with red lettering Vote here. ‘Anyone with a voter’s card?’ Hands went up waving voter’s cards. We moved to the head of the line directed into a gymnasium. People milled about finding their place. Tables set up around the room manned by volunteers checked needed ID. At table 53, I showed my voter’s card and ID. I had my ballot. The voter’s booth cleared. X marked the spot. I returned my folded ballot to the volunteer. He removed a tag and returned my ballot to me. I slipped it into the ballot box and moved easily through the crowd out into the cool evening air. The walk home was free and clear.

“Democracy is not just the right to vote, it is the right to live in dignity.”

 ~ Naomi Klein, Canadian journalist

The Right to Vote

“On this date in 1919, the Texas Legislature ratified the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, guaranteeing women the right to vote.” June 28, 2010 By Hillary Sorin 

In October 2015, I cast my vote in the Canadian federal election. In Canada women got the federal vote in three stages from 1917 through 1919.

A dual citizen, I again was privileged to cast my vote in a federal election. Today I participated in the U.S. Global Presidential Primary. While I have no expectation that my one vote will sway the results in any specific direction, I am definitely confident in my right to vote.

“Human rights are women’s rights, and women’s rights 

are human rights. Let us not forget that among those rights 

are the right to speak freely - and the right to be heard.”

~ Hillary Rodham Clinton

Canada's Election Changes Things

A short evening, dragging myself away from the CBC election results
A change is certainly under way!
All the votes aren’t in yet but
the guy they said was ‘too young’ seems to be doing pretty well.
An interesting turn of events.
But…..an early morning begs that I close this window and head to bed.

“The wheel of change moves on, and those who 

were down go up and those who were up go down. “

~  Jawaharlal Nehru

A Bit of Paper

A Bit of Paper

It floated down. A plain white paper. Virginia looked up from where she was sitting in the sun, her dark coffee iced and creamy. The sun was too bright to see where the paper may have come from. What window in the tall silver and copper high rise had been opened to send the paper on it’s floating descent? And why? It was certainly a lazy, warm day that she should even give a thought to this bit of flotsam. It may just have blown in the eddies of the city canyons with no purpose at all. She felt it was rather like herself on a day like today. No purpose, just floating and enjoying the ride. Suddenly an updraft caught the piece of paper sending it spinning it in an opposite direction, suspending it midair while the currents held sway. Virginia had felt her own such updrafts in earlier times. Not anchored in the world, she had twisted and changed with any prevailing winds. Finally tired of changing because of somone or something else, Virginia’s life slowed, but never stagnated. She had finally learned to ride the winds of sudden change, or to avoid windy corners and canyons.

One such windy noisy place was the upcoming election. Politicians strutting their stuff, otherwise solemn faces painted with smiles, words of promise and kindness filling airwaves and town halls.  Virginia had listened to some of the rhetoric without much belief in the truth of it all. Without a sound, the wayward paper settled on the warm stone surface of the cafe table. One word was scrawled in black ink across it’s surface: VOTE. Smiling, Virginia stood up, paid her check and continued on her way to the polling station ~ Virginia’s original destination.

“Every election is determined by the people who show up.”

~ Larry J. Sabato,  Pendulum Swing