articles
November 14, 2000
by Barbara Fletcher
If you don't watch much TV or listen to the radio, and the signs hammered into the ground on the corner really don't tell you much except how cute the candidate is, how can you find out more about the parties running in Federal Election on November 27?
This year, you can surf your way to an informed vote.
Thanks to the Internet, Canadians have access to political parties and policies online 24 hours a day. Could a candidate ask for a better forum?
This election, there are Web sites for all registered political parties. And although many of the parties would already have had a Web presence for the June 1997 Federal election, a significantly higher number of Canadians now have access to the Internet -- over 13.5 million. That's a lot of voter eyeballs.
Comparison Party Shopping
If you'd like more information about party policies or leaders -- perhaps a less biased opinion -- there are many sites online that can help you select the party that aligns best with your views.
Politics Watch hosts a very helpful Vote Selector Quiz. Once you check off where you stand on the main election issues (health care, education, taxation, environment, foreign policy, gay rights, abortion, gun control, immigration, debt, and the legal system), the program informs you which party best supports your political beliefs -- with ranking percentage and links to all applicable parties.
Although the interface is visually challenging, CanadianDebate.com lets you pit political parties against each other in a virtual debate. Just pick the elected and secondary parties you want to put into the ring, choose a topic of discussion, and click the "Start Debate" button.
If you'd like to find news stories related to specific election topics, the Globe Answer Finder will search Globe and Mail headlines based upon the criteria you specify.
The Internet: It's Not Just a Toy, It's a Tool
With all the parties and information online, you have total access to everything you need to know in order to make an informed vote (and I know that you have access to a computer because you're reading this now). It's all about research.
And when someone bugs you about being on the Internet so much, you have a really good excuse.
Related links:
List of Electoral Candidates
Sympatico's Federal Election Site