At this point in the election does Jack Layton's creepy mustache make you cringe? Do you think the devil is hiding behind Stephen Harper's eyes? And is Paul Martin looking a little too worn out and tired for your liking?


All superficial criticisms aside, there are options in this election other then voting for one of the “big three” federal parties.

You could reject your ballot. In the 2004 election, over 118,000 people in Canada rejected their ballot for either politically motivated reasons (objecting the lack of candidate choice, protesting the entire parliamentary system, etc) or out of stupidity.

You can reject your vote by marking more than one candidate, not marking a candidate at all or marking the ballot in any other location other than the provided candidate circle.

You could eat your ballot. During the 2000 federal election the Edible Ballot Society launched a campaign to encourage Canadians to protest federal governance by munching on their ballots at the polling stations. This extreme variation of ballot rejecting is illegal and several people were charged under the Elections Act and, although acquitted, could have faced up to three years in prison or a $3,000 fine.

You could sell your vote. Although selling or trading your vote is also considered illegal, one brave sole from Quebec tried to sell his or her vote on eBay for the 2006 election this past December. According to cbc.ca, by the time Elections Canada shut down the auction, the trader had 17 bids with the highest being $20 for the single vote.

You could vote for an obscure party. There are plenty of them out there like the Animal Alliance Environment Voters Party of Canada, the Freedom Party of Canada, the Rhinoceros Party or the Marijuana Party. Although the Marijuana Party is not represented in the London region, they do have a candidate in the nearby Oxford riding, which includes Woodstock, Tillsonburg and Ingersoll.


The Rhinoceros Party, who epitomized political satire by running on premise of “promise nothing”, was a legitimate option for almost three decades but dismembered due to rising mandatory candidate costs in 1993.


For decades the Rhinos promised to pave Manitoba to create the world's largest parking lot, put the national debt on Visa, move the Rocky Mountains one metre west as a make work project and to legalize pot… pans and spatulas. Needless to say this party was never rewarded with a seat in the house, but they did manage to round up almost 100,000 Canadians votes in 1984.

You could vote early. If you know exactly what you want and no amount of debating, scandals or muckraking is going to change your mind, then there is always the option of participating in an advanced poll. Typically reserved for the geriatric, the polling stations for this election were technically open for business in mid-December. Until January 17, registered voters can walk into their returning office, show some identification, and fill out a form. Voila, no more election for you.

You could not vote at all. Obviously a viable option for many Canadians, considering in the 2004 election only 60.9 per cent of the population took the time to go to the polls. That is down almost 15 per cent since the 1988 federal election and the lowest turnout in the history of Canadian politics. Although voter apathy is stereotypically reserved for those under 30 and “lazy” people, non-voters also send the message that there is not enough choice in political representation or leadership.

Editors note: the Interrobang does not encourage breaking the law, even if it is to prove a point.