Many times I have heard people say that they don't believe they have a voice because the party they want to vote for doesn't have a chance of winning. This is a fallacy. It is a belief that if you do not elect your candidate then your vote was somehow wasted. This is simply not true.
The way that our democracy works is that everyone can join a party and have input into the local chapter to bring forward their ideas. In many parties you don't even have to be voting age before you can join and have a say. These ideas are debated and the best ones then get accepted and move up to a regional, provincial or federal level within the party where the debate continues. The best of those become party platform and policies. If a person's ideas do not rise to the top, they have the option to refine, reword and reapply those ideas until they do.
Then, in the election, the candidates all get to debate their platform and the ideas which started with the general public come back to that same public. The best ideas from one party will influence their opposition as everyone tries to come to terms with how to best meet the needs of society. Whether or not your particular candidate wins does not change the fact that they helped to shape the debate.
Democracy is a system in which nobody gets what they want. We negotiate in order to forge the best compromise we can. If you want to have your way, you need to start a dictatorship or a monarchy and make sure you are in charge. If you want to be part of something greater, you need to join the party of your choice and get involved in the conversation.
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