With midterms approaching, it is easy for us to get caught up in the stress of school and forget about the Waterloo Regional Municipal Elections. Although it is hard to divert our attention from school and friends, our votes will make a difference on October 25th and believe it or not, local politics will play a huge role in our lives. From the buses that bring you to school in the morning to the lights that guide your way home at night, the people you elect to sit in the City Hall do make an important difference in your life. As a major segment of the Waterloo community, election officials have emphasized that student participation is important and voting really is easier than you think.
The most common complaint when asking students why they choose not to vote is that are not well informed informed to make the decision associated with filling out a ballet. The solution to that problem is simple; there are an abundance of media venues that provide information on the candidates and issues. The Kitchener-Waterloo Record provides extensive coverage, and each major candidate has their own website. For those with access to cable TV, Channel 20 provides extensive coverage of the campaign every Monday through Thursday at 7 & 10 PM. With so many sources of information to choose from there really is no excuse for students not to be able to make an ‘educated’ decision.
Almost all the students on campus are eligible to vote. In order to vote, you must be a Canadian, 18 years of age and reside in the Waterloo Region. As a student you are allowed to vote in both regions, where you are temporarily residing (i.e. Waterloo), and your permanent home in another municipality. If you live on res, or do not have proof of your Waterloo address on any of your identity cards, there are other ways to provide proof of address, including a credit card receipt, pay stub or phone bill. If you have none of these, you can simply fill out a declaration of identity form at the voting location when you arrive to cast your ballet, which is simple but a little bit more time consuming. So yes, you are eligible to vote in this election.
Voting on election day is really quite easy. Those living on campus can vote at the Student Life Centre between 10 am and 8 pm on election day (Monday, Oct. 25). If you do not live on campus, you can find out your voting location by accessing http://e-services.waterloo.ca/Voting_Station_Lookup.aspx, and entering your street address. If for some reason you are out of town on the 25th, advanced polling occurs on the 15th and 16th, from 10 am to 6 pm at Waterloo City Center.
Finally, I want to stress that municipal election are very relevant to students. The decisions made in the City Hall affect public transit, libraries, hospitals, police & firefighting, and road maintenance. We, as students, have an important voice in the outcome of this election. So now that you know how to get information, how to vote, and why you should vote, get out there on October 25th and cast your ballet, it really does make a difference.
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