Federal Election Special
• Saint John Human Development Council • www.sjhdc.ca At least once every 4 years, Canadians get the chance to make their voices heard by exercising their most basic democratic right: the right to vote. Being a democracy is part For updates and info about the election, local of what makes Canada the great country that it is, but democracies only work if people participate. One of the most basic, and important, ways to participate in a democracy is issues, and how our political system works, like our Facebook page & follow us on to vote. Twitter! On October 19th Canadians will be going to the polls to vote in the 42nd Federal Election. Around the Block and the Saint John Human Development Council want to encourage ev@SaintJohnHDC eryone in our community to get on the voters list, get informed, and get to the polls—and we’re here to help! Saint John Human Development This special Election Insert has information on how to vote, how elections work, what the three levels of government do and who our local candidates are this time around! For more information, including the Canada Votes 2015 Series (with short one page overviews of 14 important elections issues), check out the HDC website: www.sjhdc.ca
Did You Know? You Can Vote Now!
If you want to get voting off your “to do list”, you can head over to the Elections Canada office at 555 Somerset Street North, Suite 118 (across from the Millidgeville SuperStore) and vote now! The office is open: Mon to Fri: 9a.m. - 9p.m.; Sat: 9a.m. - 6p.m.; Sun: 12p.m. - 4p.m. If you have questions, you can call them; the toll free number is: 1 866 209-6481.
Why Vote?
The laws and regulations that our MPs create and pass affect our daily lives in all kinds of ways: how much money the province gets for health care, social programs and education, what is illegal and what happens when you break the law, how many immigrants and refugees we welcome each year and how much social housing we have (ever had to wait on the NB Housing waiting list? This is impacted by politics, too). So, voting will help shape the Canada that we live in, and that our children and grandchildren will inherit. Voting will also shape the Canada that the rest of the world sees--that’s a pretty important job. Vote to make sure that the person you send to represent you in Ottawa is going to help shape Canada the way you want it to be shaped.
We Can Do Better!
Voter Turnout in NB 10 Ridings (%)
In 2011, 42% of our riding’s eligible voters didn’t even show up - we can do way better than that, Saint John! If you did not vote the last time, make sure you do now. It is important that you vote this time and everytime there is an election. Go with a friend that votes, take a family member and a neighbour. Remember: friends don’t let friends forget to vote.
Got the kids? Take ‘em with you! Voting can be fun for the whole family! “Voting is something you should be proud to be able to do, it’s really a celebration. When 2 of my 3 children turned 18, their “first vote” was a big deal & we celebrated! My youngest son, who is 11, has come with me to vote in every municipal, provincial & federal election since he was baby—he can’t wait for his turn!” –Allison Ferris, Housing Alternatives
These People Can Change Everything In the last election voters in the Saint John-Rothesay riding had the lowest voter turnout rate in the province; only 58% of the voters turned up. New Brunswick had the second highest provincial turnout rate of 65.6%, so we did better than most provinces. PEI came first with a rate of 74%. The national rate was 58.5%.
First Time Voting
If you are voting for the first time the Elections Canada website has a “What happens when I go vote” video that walks you through the process of voting! Visit elections.ca to see the video. Page E1
Federal Election Special
• Saint John Human Development Council • www.sjhdc.ca
How To Vote In 5 Easy Steps!
Step 1: Register To Vote
Registering is the first step to having your say in the election. It’s basically signing up to vote. The quickest and easiest way to register is online. You can register to vote, or double check to make sure you are already registered on the Elections Canada website: www.elections.ca
Step 2: Decide When to Vote
You can vote on Election Day, Monday, October 19th between 9:30am-9:30pm. Or There are four advance voting days: Fri Oct 9, Sat Oct 10, Sun Oct 11, Mon Oct 12. Polls are open from 12noon-8pm.
Step 4:Get your ID or proof of address ready
If you forget to register, don’t worry! You can register at the polling station when you go to vote. You have two options: 1) A piece of government issued ID (like a driver’s license, or pro vincial ID card) with your photo, name, and home address on it. 2) Two pieces of ID: One with your name on it (health card, Canadian passport, credit or debit card, etc.) and one with your name and home address on it (bank statement, power bill, etc.) A complete list of acceptable ID pieces is on the Elections Canada website. www.elections.ca
Step 5: Take your ID & Vote!
Step 3: Find Your Polling Station
Head to your polling station to vote. When you walk into your polling station, there will be tables set up with volunteers to take your name and check your ID. They will be there to help you and tell you where to go next! If you’ve never voted before, the “what happens when I vote” video by Elections Canada walks you through the process!
Where you go to vote is called a Polling Station. To find out where yours is, you can look on the back of your voter registration card.
Just like in the example above, your polling station for Election Day is listed first on your voter card, the address for advanced polls is right below. You can also go to www.elections.ca and type in your postal code.
Or, you can call Elections Canada to find out where your polling station is at 1-800-463-6868.
Don’t think you have time to vote? Every Canadian citizen is entitled to 3 hours to vote. If your work schedule does not give you 3 hours in a row while the polling station is open, your employer has to give you time without a fuss or a penalty to pay—it’s the law, under section 132-4 of the Canada Elections Act. Got the kids? Take ‘em with you! Voting can be fun for the whole family! Page E2
Federal Election Special
• Saint John Human Development Council • www.sjhdc.ca
The three levels of government in Canada each have different responsibilities that affect our daily lives. Decisions made at the federal level affect all Canadians, and affect what our province and city are able to do. For example, even though the province is responsible for welfare and health, decisions made at the federal level affect how much money flows to the provinces for these things.
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Federal Election Special
• Saint John Human Development Council • www.sjhdc.ca Rodney Weston is the current Member of Parliament for the Saint John-Rothesay riding and will be running for a third term with the Conservative Party of Canada. Weston holds political experience on the federal and provincial levels, and has also worked in the private sector, owning his own small business. Weston plans to continue along the course of what he has accomplished in his previous 2 terms, featuring a heavy focus on where public spending has been directed in the past. Weston removed the tolls from the Harbour Bridge, and has approved federal funding for projects such as the new YMCA facility and the Hans W. Klohn commons at UNBSJ.
Rodney Weston (MP) Conserative Party of Canada
You can contact Rodney: 506-652-2015 Rodney@VoteRodneyWeston.ca 22 King St. Saint John NB E2L 1G3 AJ Griffin is the NDP candidate in the Saint John-Rothesay riding. Griffin presently works as a Senior Technical Writer with Genesys. The focus of Griffin’s campaign is mainly on fixing the economic conditions that create social problems; she plans to work for seniors, parents and all constituents of the riding to ensure that unemployment and poverty are greatly reduced in the community. AJ is an active volunteer and feels passionately about various social issues, which she hopes to give voice at a federal level for the Saint John-Rothesay region. Griffin would like to give a fresh voice for the riding as an elected MP, stating that problems will not be fixed if we continue going down the same two roads. You can contact AJ: aj.griffin@ndp.ca 12 Charlotte St. Saint John NB E2L 2H4 506-642-3731
AJ Griffin New Democratic Party
Wayne Long Liberal Party Of Canada
Wayne Long is the candidate for the Liberal Party of Canada for the Saint John-Rothesay riding. Wayne has been a lifelong resident of the riding and has been a prominent member of the business community for quite some time, most notably in his role as a founding member and current president of the Saint John Sea Dogs. Long has a wealth of national and international business experience which, if elected, he plans to bring to Ottawa with a stronger voice for the constituents of Saint John-Rothesay. Long feels as though the region has become stagnant, particularly in economic terms, and wishes to bring greater prosperity and opportunity to the Port City. He believes that a healthy economy can work wonders for social problems, therefore his plans focus greatly on working to reduce unemployment in Saint John-Rothesay and to use natural advantages, such as the port, to bring business, jobs and relief to the riding. You can contact Wayne: 506-214-6292 info@waynelong.ca 39 King St. Brunswick Square , Saint John NB E2L 4W3 Sharon Murphy is running as a candidate with the Green Party of Canada in Saint John-Rothesay. Murphy has familial roots in the Saint John business scene and currently helps to run Atlantic Label, a family owned manufacturing business. Murphy is also an active advocate for environmental and social issues in the community, and founded PEACE-NB, a group that facilitates solutions for such issues in the region. Murphy plans to use her experience as an advocate for all social justice issues to her advantage as a representative of Saint John-Rothesay in Ottawa. She intends to ensure that clean drinking water is available throughout the community, and that a strong economy that is focused on sustaining local businesses is created. You can contact Sharon: 506-639-9929 sharon.murphy@greenparty.ca
Sharon Murphy Green Party Of Canada Page E4