It always amazes me that people don’t vote.

For me, it was never in question. I’ve voted in every election I’ve been able to since I turned 18 years old (not saying who the choices were then).

Credit my upbringing. I was brought up in a very political household. My parents were involved with the local constituency association and my father ran, unsuccessfully, for MLA once.

Politics was always a topic at the dinner table. By the time I turned 18, I could hardly wait to vote. That hasn’t changed.

It was instilled in me at an early age that voting is important. One of the fundamental principles of democracy is that every citizen has a voice. We get to use that voice at the ballot box.

For me there is an excitement associated with voting. I am always eager to vote and am usually one of the first people in line. I can’t wait.

Why? There are plenty of excuses why not. Too busy, your vote doesn’t count, politicians won’t listen to you anyway … the list goes on. But they are just excuses.

When you vote you become part of something that is much larger than yourself. You become part of your country.

Voting is part of what makes us Canadian. How can anyone get choked up over the national anthem being sung at a hockey game and yet not vote? How can anyone respect the sacrifice our troops make and yet not vote? How can anyone travel the world using a Canadian passport and a flag sewn into their luggage and yet not vote?

If you like to say you are a proud Canadian, then you should be proud to take part in the society that you are proud of. You can do that in many ways, but the most fundamental way is to get out and vote.

Today is Election Day. If you like being a Canadian, if you’re proud of being a Canadian, then, today, be a Canadian … vote.