I ventured over to the Centre Eugène-Sauvageau in Gatineau today to vote. I was there early, having arrived at about 9h45. The community centre is familiar to me as I worked there during the last provincial election for the advanced voting days. The place wasn’t exactly packed this morning but there was a steady stream of people coming and going. Due to the early hour, the voters were mostly elderly though there were a few young people there. I did my part to help get Raphaël Déry of the Bloc Québécois elected.

As always seems to be the case when I vote, my polling station was the busiest and the only one with a line-up. I didn’t mind waiting, but the person behind me was quite annoyed. She had an appointment at 10h00. Egads!

This made me think of what my girlfriend had told me about earlier. She had voted in the advanced voting in her riding of Ottawa-Orleans. While she was voting, she became moved at how simple, free, and easy it is to vote in Canada. She has a friend in Mexico who had a difficult time voting in the last election, having to wait hours to cast her ballot. I’m sure many of you recall the turmoil of the last Mexican election, with each party claiming victory and the eventual losers holding raucous rallies in the capital. And then there are third world countries where people don’t get to vote, are violently prevented from voting, or where elections are rigged and meaningless.

We are incredibly lucky to live in a country with free and fair elections. It is not only our privilege to vote but our duty. It only takes a few minutes and, even if you have an appointment at 10h00, be happy that your only voting obstacle is a busy schedule. It could be much worse.

Cross-posted to Sovereignty en Anglais.