Have added a link - top of page, left column - to the Anti-Harper Vote Swap Facebook group and shall update the member count daily.
When I added the link a few minutes ago, the number of members was 7, 393.
Just checked and the count is now 7, 418. No doubt as I write this, it will have changed again.
The admin has made adjustments to how matchups are to be done. Rather than having the pairings arranged through the Facebook discussion interface, Mat is handling the matchups himself. Interested voters send him an email with their details. Then they wait to hear whether Mat has found a match for them.
This process encourages people to follow through on their commitment, since the identity of each person in a pair is known by both the admin and to each other. In other words, if I get paired, I’ll know the identity of my partner and vice versa. So will Mat.
While knowing the identity of your voting partner cannot give you complete assurance that in the polling booth your alter will choose according to your voting preference, it does add moral suasion.
If the existence of this Facebook group isn't a testament to how flawed our electoral system is, I don't know what is.
The single most pressing issue for Canadians is the recovery of democratic choice for voters. Until that happens, none of the issues that matter to the true majority of Canadians will be addressed. At best, they will be given only lip service. At worst - and this is no different than what's happening now -, Canadians will continue to be governed by politicians whose priorities are the same as their corporate backers and moneyed lobbyists.
UPDATE: After thinking hard about strategic voting, I've decided against it. See A Prisoner's Dilemma for Voters.
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