Tuesday, March 1, 2005.
In the past 4 months, we’ve seen democratic elections take place in Alberta, Canada, the United States, the Ukraine, Iraq, and the Palestinian Territory. In North America there has been no change in government, but across the Atlantic, three new governments have been formed. Here at Red Deer College, our own Students’ Association will be undergoing a democratic election on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 22nd and 23rd. I encourage everybody to vote in all categories, campaign for your favorite candidates, and nominate your friends. This is your opportunity to establish the student executive you want here at Red Deer College.
As this year’s Chief Returning Officer, I’d love to see as many candidates as possible. As we grow older, the public service will require quality candidates in the elections of various levels of government. Running in this election will give you valuable experience in the future. In fact, you will find that the only way to learn about running in an election is to run in an election! I am here to encourage you and walk you through the process. Your campaign can start right now in your mind as you consider becoming a candidate. As you look through the election package and find friends to nominate you, the ripples you create will spread throughout the college.
For some of you, this might be the only election you ever run in. Years from now, you’ll reminisce about “that election I was in.” I want this to be a satisfying, memorable experience. For some of you, this might be the first of many elections. Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory was considered a front-runner in the federal Conservative leadership race, although Stephen Harper won. Tory then ran for Mayor of Toronto and came in second. The experience and exposure he got from those races came in handy when he ran successfully to become head of the Ontario PC’s. For 40 years, former Prime Minister Jean Chretien never lost an election he entered, except for the Liberal leadership race he lost to John Turner in 1984. He didn’t give up though, winning the leadership in 1990, a by-election, and three general elections after that.
For those of us who are voters, we can have the satisfaction of making our vote count. In the 1993 federal election, Edmonton candidate Anne McLellan (now Deputy Prime Minister) won by 1 vote (a recount bumped it up to a staggering 12)! Imagine if you and 11 others had voted for the other candidate. Decades from now, you might have the satisfaction of knowing that your single vote helped a candidate win, a candidate who might be experiencing great success in their career. Even if you vote for the candidate with the coolest name, you will have exercised your right to determine whose leadership will guide the Students’ Association next year. So get involved; I am here to help. Everybody wins when everybody votes.
Sincerely,
Brendan William Cross
