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January 30, 2005
Iraqis put North Americans to shame
Despite the bombs, rockets and mortars Iraqis turned out to vote. According to initial numbers from Iraqi election officials 72% of eligible voters made it to the polls for that countries first free election in more than fifty years. To put that number in perspective, let's take a look at voter turnout in Canada and the United States.
In Canada, average voter turnout in the last 20 years has been in the low 60s. Even the tight competition of the last spring's election couldn't push up voter turnout. Similarly in the United States, turnout now averages just over 50% and two consecutive tight presidential elections couldn't created an appreciable rise in the number of voters heading to the polls.
All of this is a pretty damning indictment North Americans who can't be bothered to get off their bottoms to vote in elections where there is no orchestrated voter intimidation or bombing campaign as there was in Iraq. It shows the degree to which we take democracy for granted. It also shows the degree to which we don't actually care about the results of our elections.
North Americans are apathetic and Iraqis have put us to shame.
Posted by maxthecat on January 30, 2005 at 09:09 AM | Comments (0)
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