[LINK] Visit buymyvote.ca

[rfmcdonald]

"Canadians asked: How much for your vote?"

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Reuters) - One Canadian woman figures her vote is worth the price of a movie ticket, but another man would only sell his for a share of the government's budget surplus.

Vote selling is illegal in Canada, but Paul Wolfe has found that letting voters post their hypothetical prices on the Internet is a humorous way to find what they are thinking as Canada prepares for the January 23 federal election.

"It's sort of a sideways approach to getting to the real issues," said Wolfe, a Thunder Bay, Ontario, graduate student and one of the creators of the Web site BuyMyVote.ca. "It actually gets people thinking."

Wolfe said the idea started as a conversation between friends, but the aim now is to hear from thousands of people and calculate the "official value" of a Canadian vote.

"What this is, is an expression in free-market democracy," said Wolfe, who priced his own vote at C$140 (69 pounds) -- the cost of good restaurant dinner for his family.

Voters are asked to list the price they would sell their ballot for, and give a brief explanation of why.

Me, I'd have to think about the price. Thanks to Will Baird for the heads up!