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Did You Vote?
This year’s American election garnered significant attention worldwide. I’ve never been that interested in politics south of the 49th parallel, but this time it was different. It seemed that every day there was something in social or traditional media that caught my attention. Typically, it was a statement that now President-elect Trump made, along with the reaction that it generated, most of which was negative. I was quite amazed at how close the vote was. In the end, Donald Trump received enough votes to be elected President over Hillary Clinton. Every vote counts! Many Americans aren’t happy with the results. Some are even making inquiries about moving to Canada. We’ll see how many actually do.
The right to vote is a foundation of democracy. It’s based on the assumption that all those affected by a decision have the right to participate in the making of that decision, and yet it’s something that so many of us take for granted. Consider this: In BC, women didn’t get the right to vote until 1917, and some minorities didn’t until as recently as 1960! People have been fighting for this right for decades; which is why it’s so disheartening to see that in what will likely go down as one of the most important American elections in history, only 55.4% of the population voted.
In the microcosm of BC Pharmacy, we elect board members to govern the College. Elections for half (four) of the elected board members occur every year. Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians vote in their respective districts. This year we had a great slate of candidates running for election; and I know the successful candidates will serve the public well.
I was however disappointed at the low voter turnout, especially for an electronic ballot that can be done in an instant, with a few clicks of a button. Only 8% of registrants voted in our recent board elections, and I’m left to wonder, why? Was it because the electronic ballot got buried in your inbox? Or because you are happy with any electoral outcome? Or maybe you simply didn’t know any of the candidates, and felt that you couldn’t cast an informed vote? Part of our mandate to protect the public includes having some of BC’s leading pharmacy professionals on the Board, and for that, we need to hear from you!
The College is constantly evolving to meet the needs of the public and pharmacy practice and part of that process requires your participation. If you are a registrant in District 2 (Tri-Cities, Surrey, White Rock and Delta), District 4 (Interior) or District 6 (Hospitals in the Lower Mainland and Victoria) and didn’t vote, could you please take a second to let me know why? And what we can do to change that in the future.
Comment below or email me at [email protected]
Best,
- Registrar