Questioning who to vote for

On Oct. 6, who I decide to actually vote for and support is a quagmire which has taken much of my thought. On one hand, there are certain policies which I strongly support. On the other hand, there is the history behind the paths which each of the three major political parties in Ontario took when they had their chance to govern.

Beyond the attack ads and unfortunately inevitable spins which the media has put on Dalton McGuinty, Andrea Horwath and Tim Hudak, are the local candidates who have committed to run as a candidate.

Throughout the campaign, many have put their professional lives on hold, along with sacrificing family time for political engagement.

The quagmire, though, which is aggravating me is that one candidate is a family friend and someone who I can say that I do respect on a personal level.

The problem is that the political party this family friend has been nominated to run for, I can say I do not fancy. Should I vote for this candidate regardless of my great partisan dislike or should I support another candidate whose party’s platform I have a stronger liking for?

Last election, in 2007, the electoral system which Ontario uses was questioned. For many, the division between electing a local candidate along with selecting a political party, wasn’t an easy or understandable sell at their doors. Given the fact that this system (called mixed-member proportional) was not given much consideration, I think I will not vote for or against the family friend. But instead, based on my status as a student, I will vote in my home address instead of the address of my student residence.

– Adam Clemens