Casting a ballot is safer than buying groceries so go and vote
One gets that there may be more incentive than usual to stay at home today and not vote.
We are seven months into a pandemic and we've been told it's our societal obligation to stay at home and avoid gathering in large groups. If we are told we can't get together to say goodbye to a loved one at a funeral, should anyone be lectured today about neglecting our democratic duty to get out and vote?
And some may have legitimate reason to stay home. If you have COVID-19, have symptoms that are disconcerting or are a person whose health makes you vulnerable, maybe you will have to sit this one out.
The old adage that there is nothing more important than your health would seem to apply.
But if you are choosing today to simply use COVID-19 as a slightly more legitimate than usual excuse not to vote, maybe it's time to assess how legitimate your concerns really are.
Sure, COVID-19 is a serious disease that's been treated by some in an unserious way.
But if you are choosing not to go and vote this Monday after choosing to go to the bar on Friday or grocery store on Saturday or your place of worship on Sunday (or whatever is your preferred day you choose or choose not to worship), maybe your choice has less to do with legitimate coronavirus concerns than you are suggesting.
After all, it sure does seem they've done most everything they can to make voting safe.
Chief electoral officer Michael Boda and the legislature's all-party Electoral Advisory Group, which includes chief medical health officer Dr. Saqib Shahab, have been working since June to iron out potential concerns that could arise today.
Perhaps this advisory group could have done more than urge mask use in the polling booths, but it didn't have the tools to a make them a legislative requirement to vote.
Use masks anyway. If you have the common sense capacity to choose the next government, surely you must have enough common sense to wear a mask to the polls.
Other precautionary matters have been taken care of for you, including the obligatory two-metres social distancing, hand sanitizers, surface-area clearing and single-use pencils (although you are welcome to bring your own pencil or pen).
Congratulations to those of you who have already voted in the advance polls or by mail-in in record numbers.
However, if you are someone who has made habit of using whatever excuse you can think of not to vote — COVID-19 being just your latest one — maybe this is the perfect time to give your big, woolly head a shake.
Yes, there are elements of this 2020 Saskatchewan election campaign one might fairly categorize as disheartening. Social media has clearly added to this sentiment. Regular media like me have likely contributed our fair share. And the parties, themselves, don't always enhance the democratic process with their ceaseless bickering that's never a good look for anyone.
Sometimes, it's just been obnoxious and nasty behaviour better chalked up to the sentiment that some mommas and daddies don't raise their kids right. But whether it's a result of working under the collective justifications of the herd or in their lone existences where they're untouched by another human soul until their ill-thought rants hit the internet, even bad behaviour generally comes from a place of passion for change.
People do cross lines and make mistakes.
But that's why every four years, we elect those whose responsibility it is to fix the problems we encounter and maybe even the mistakes we've made.
Those running for office and those supporting their cause work hard to do so. Some of them have even come across as fun and pretty smart.
We have seen a campaign in this difficult time where those involved have shown leadership by wearing masks and keeping a proper distance. They've met the restrictive challenges with fun and creative solutions like holding “big honkin' rallies” or “car rallies” to replace large gatherings.
So do yourself a favour today and pick one of them to represent you. Surely, this COVID-19 mess has taught us something about how important government really is.