Here at Pair Vote, we’ll be doing two rounds of voter-matching before the May 2 election, and the first round is taking place on Monday, April 25.

If you haven’t registered for a swap yet, NOW is the time to do so, at http://pairvote.ca/ … and if you HAVE registered for a swap, NOW is the time to encourage your friends and colleagues — especially those who live in critical swing ridings — to consider signing up as well.

In an “open letter” to supporters and friends of the Green Party, here’s a concrete example of why our numbers – and the locations of our swappers – matter greatly:

Right now, we have more than 1000 Green voters who want to help Elizabeth May get elected in Saanich-Gulf Islands … but we only have 15 non-Green-but-Green-friendly voters (generally Liberal and NDP) signed up to swap votes in her riding.  Unless this changes, we are limited to a total of 15 votes that can be swapped in favor of Ms May.

How can we fix this, and effect change?

If you are a Green Party supporter, appeal to your Liberal and NDP friends living in Saanich-Gulf Islands.  Ask them to PLEASE consider a swap.  We can make their votes count in critical ridings for their preferred parties (for example, Burnaby-Douglas for the NDP; or Kingston and the Islands for the Liberal Party). These swaps give Ms May a better chance at finally winning the Green Party a seat in the House of Commons, and have the added benefit of also increasing chances for the NDP’s Kennedy Stewart in Burnaby-Douglas and the Liberal Party’s Ted Hsu in Kingston and the Islands.   It’s win-win-win, all around!

Remember: our first round of pairings is taking place on Monday, April 25.  NOW is the time to talk to your friends and colleagues about vote swapping.

If your friends need help understanding how all of this works, point them to our Pair Vote site , or to our FAQ .

Filed under: Canada 2011

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