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Now or Never

This I believe: Getting personal with the story behind your vote

As political divisiveness becomes the new norm, we wanted to understand why people vote the way they do. Hear from five Canadians, across the political spectrum, about the personal experience shaping the way they’ll be voting in this federal election.
CBC Radio ·
A smiling couple in protective gear, a recent high school graduate, a senior citizen, a man holding up his Canadian passport, and a father and son
We asked five different Canadians, from across the political spectrum, about the personal experience shaping the way they’ll be voting in this federal election. (Submitted by Patrick Osborne/Harman Banga/Gale Uhlmann/ Fernando Ameth Pinzon/Jason McAllister)
Now or Never52:52You're voting for who?!

As political divisiveness becomes the new norm, it can get harder to see the other side, and understand why people vote the way they do.

But instead of demonizing those on the other end of the political spectrum, why not lean in and get curious as to why people believe what they do?  

On this special election edition of Now or Never, hear from five different Canadians  — an 18-year-old, a pastor, a Panamanian-Canadian immigrant, a gun enthusiast, and a senior citizen — about the personal experience shaping the way they'll be voting in this federal election.

Gale Uhlmann has had a job since she was 15, working as a trucker, waitress, and office worker. Now at 74, Gale's still working -- but not by choice. She doesn't have enough savings to retire, or to pay $10 000 for the new teeth she needs: "You're a statistic. And they don't - how can I put it nicely - they don't give a damn about what we're encountering."

Firearms were a big part of what brought Patrick Osborne and his wife Tara together. After she passed away from cancer in 2022, it's also shaping how he's planning to vote in this election.

Although he's been a Canadian citizen for 21 years, Fernando Ameth Pinzon has never voted in a federal election. But Donald Trump's comments about his home country have shifted something in him, bringing him back to a place he hasn't been in a while: his childhood in Panama.

When Jason McAllister and his family moved into their new neighbourhood in Prince George, B.C., bail reform wasn't even a thought. After five years of living near a home where he frequently witnessed drug use and police raids, it's become a key election issue.

18-year-old Harman Banga is casting her first vote in a federal election, something she's been looking forward to since she was a kid. But recently, voting has become even more personal for Harman — her parents both work in the auto industry and their jobs are threatened by tariffs.

To read more stories from Canadians about the personal experience that's shaping how they will vote in 2025, go to CBC First Person.