Canada holds its 45th General Election today. If you are not among the 7.3 million citizens who Elections Canada says have cast an early ballot, I hope that you will find the time today to be counted.

Remember, as the results come in, that there is no popular vote. While total national vote share by party can be projected by aggregating the result from all 343 ridings, these figures have no meaningful relationship to the outcome. Trying to win the game by citing shots on goal, rather than goals scored, suggests a certain ignorance.

Many careless advocates for reform use election night to push their idealism by underscoring the significance of the so-called popular vote, leaving many voters with the impression that their vote has not been counted. We can have an honest conversation about reforming our electoral system, but you have to question the sincerity of those who purport to defend democracy by resorting to cheap cynicism.