Heading to the polls,
eyes open, fingers crossed
Lindsey Wiebe, Young Voter | June 2

Election day is nearly upon us. All the campaigning, public forums, promotions, and signs hammered into lawns across the province have led up to this moment.

So why am I so unexcited?

I hope I'm not alone in being less-than-wowed by the efforts of Manitoba's political candidates. The signs are fewer in number than I'd expected, and the campaigns themselves have been a little lacklustre.

From what I've seen, the last few weeks of campaigning have consisted mostly of repetition, rehashing what's been said in the days prior. I attended a leaders' forum just over a week ago, and by the end of the evening, I could recite the catch phrases of every major political party.

Gary Doer's plans are "achievable," "modest," and appropriately, "do-able." Stuart Murray is eager to "tear apart the tax system" and "move Manitoba forward." And Jon Gerrard likes to compare the NDP's spending habits to "paying off your VISA with your Mastercard."

It's tough to say whether convenient quotes are preferential to silence on the home front. Of the four parties running in my riding, only one representative has gone to the trouble of knocking on my door. The second candidate made do with a pamphlet left on the floor. The third and fourth have done neither – not a big confidence booster.

Maybe I should sit back and rest on the election's predictability like everyone else. I'm aware of the polls forseeing a landslide NDP victory, I've seen every leader in action, and I've read the brochures. By all accounts, I should be ready to make an informed decision, however bland the campaigning efforts.

But I'm not. Sure, I've got a vague idea of who I'd like to win the election, but reading a pamphlet or two hardly makes me an informed voter.

• Inexperience a disadvantage? •

The advantage the average voter has in this election is the ability to see through the smokescreens, to look back on a party's past and see how well previous candidates have kept their word. But as a first-time voter, I don't have that ability. I was a rural 16-year-old during the last provincial election, and my political awareness was fuzzy at best. I couldn't be bothered to pay attention when I didn't have a say in the outcome.

Now that I have a vote to my name, I'm not really sure what to do with it. I don't have the discretion to say that a particular party has failed before; I can't base my vote on a candidate's strong history of success.

It's not that parties haven't failed in the past, or that certain candidates aren't stronger than others – I just couldn't tell you which ones.

This hazy awareness of the past occurs on a provincial and national level. Years of possible scandal, lies and cover-ups are lost on me. After all, I was only 10 when Brian Mulroney quit politics, and I don't know if I'd recognize Gary Filmon if I bumped into him on the street.

Is this a problem? That's a tricky question. When June 3 rolls around, I can regard my lack of poli-historical insight as either a voting hindrance or a clean slate. In the manner of politicians, I might have to sit on the fence and call it both.

For now, my vote is decided, sort of, and I feel happy with my choice, mostly. Still, I wouldn't mind a few preconceptions. A bias or two would certainly have helped to narrow the playing field.

There is one point of consolation: whatever my choice, I'll be able to witness firsthand the results of my decision. I'll see whether promises made are promises kept, and if my party of choice changes its tune.

When the next election rolls around, I'll be that much more prepared to make an informed vote. At the very least, I'll be able to look back on these columns and see what I, as well as the politicians, have learned.

Lindsey Wiebe is a student in the joint Creative Communications program offered by Red River College and the University of Winnipeg. She plans to pursue a career in the field of journalism.