I figure if you’re too apathetic to vote, then don’t complain about who you’ve got. If you had a chance to have your say at the poll booth and couldn’t bother, then get off your high horse. Heck, that’s the biggest reason why I do vote: so that I can justify having an opinion about who’s in power and how they’re doing their jobs. If you want to have an opinion, have one when it matters and vote.
Personally, I really don’t like any of the parties in Canada – every one that I can think of has done something illegal during their term in office. I’m totally disgusted with politicians, to be perfectly honest. Or at least I’m generally disgusted with any politicians who make it very high in the ranks. It seems like compromising your morals is the only way to make it very far in politics here nowadays.
So I vote for the party I think has the best policies (and that I distrust the least). If the party I didn’t want wins, I can complain about the fact that I wanted the other guy. If the party I wanted wins, but then they go back on all their campaign promises, I can complain about that if I want to. If the party I really want in is an underdog, I’ll still vote for them, even if I’m sure they won’t win (and especially if I don’t like the other options). How can any other party even have a hope of gaining strength if everyone who wants them sits on their duffs because they consider voting for them just throwing away their vote? If nothing else, seeing a third party get more votes should be a bit of a wake up call to the leading parties and make them reassess their policies and perhaps listen to their constituents more.
Besides all that, I don’t see what harm casting your vote can do, but it’s dangerous for too many people to not vote. It gives to much power to the voting minority, and you never know what you’ll end up with.