Voting Day in Ontario

Today is the day that we vote to get Doug Ford out of office. Anyone who’s lived in Ontario and watched Doug Ford tear apart our health care, our education, our social programs and even our Greenbelt, should understand the importance of ABC Voting. I’ve never been so happy for election day to come. None of the advertisements I’ve seen actually talk about the plan the political party’s plans for when they get elected, all I’ve seen in ads is one party trash talking another party.

I have no indoor facial expressions. I grimaced and said “Eww” without even thinking about it. The fake insult on his face made me realize what I had just said and done, so to save face I said “Well I guess good on you for coming to Canada” as if that made things any better. But realistically, he’s the only man I trust that works in this building.

Anyway, I get to the secure building where the voting for my riding is taking place thinking I’m going to have to interact with building staff to unlock the secure front door just to go and get my vote on. Thankfully as I was approaching the building I saw a big yellow sign that said “Vote” with an arrow, followed by another one. It was fun to follow the signs, like No Name brand wall hopscotch or something.

As I’m getting closer I grab out my status card and sign into my bank account so I have proof of name and address so I can vote. I approach the greeter and ask them what to do and where to go as I just moved into this neighborhood and don’t have a voter registry card for this area. She explains to me that all I need is the ID and documents I have on hand and that a person right there at the ballot tables would be more than happy to help me figure out the rest.

As I am speaking to the greeter I see the people at the ballot tables all murmuring to each other because there were more ballot tables than voters in the room at the same time, so they began discussing who would take what voter. A cute blonde flagged me down the moment I finished speaking to the greeter. I begin to walk over to her as I pull out my Native Status card and begin unlocking my phone so I can get into my bank account to show her my address as I’m explaining I have nothing and no idea what I’m doing.

But she’s pretty, so of course I’m distracted, and nervous, for no reason, and just as I’m in the middle of typing in my bank information to sign into my account, one of the other ballot table people looked at her, looked at me and smirked saying “Well then you picked the perfect table, she knows exactly what she’s doing” Which would have seemed innocent enough, if it wasn’t for the group chuckle and her face turning red immediately afterward.

On my way back from the voting station I asked everyone that made eye contact with me if they voted yet. Not a single one had. Someone told me they were planning to vote after work, most people who hadn’t just stared at me as if I aimed a weapon at them. One person though made me feel like a total ass. When I asked him if he was voting he gave me a look and said that he can’t because he’s American.

Also a kind, funny, Black american man? No wonder he moved to Canada. He was probably getting eaten alive down there.

Anyway, I’m done voting, now it’s your turn. If you’re from Ontario, go vote today, if you don’t want to do the research first, just go to SmartVote.Ca and vote ABC based on your riding.