To the editor:
I felt encouraged that our provincial government — notably Coralee Oakes, Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development — is aware of the problems with municipal elections and is planning to make changes in time for the next election in November 2014. These changes, according to your article, will be focused on modernizing the election finance regulations.
Based on my experience as candidate in a past election, I believe that other election issues also require government attention. One is how votes are accepted and counted. In some municipalities, voters may vote at any of 15 or more polling stations and an electoral officer does not know how many times people voted. They claim no one votes more than once. Even so, a proper democratic election requires a system that ensures accurate count.
Another burning issue is the unfair restrictions cities place on candidates, such as making it difficult to promote their campaigns. A common method among such restrictions is a bylaw limiting any outdoor signs to private property. This rule immediately disfranchises voters living in apartments and condos, where signs are prohibited by landlord or strata, as well property owners who choose not publicize their allegiances with a sign on their front lawn. So, unfortunately, we have whole city neighbourhoods during elections without any visual reminder that elections are in progress. Which leads to a shamelessly low voter turnout that is mostly beneficial to incumbents.
A better approach would be to allocate specific areas on public property throughout the municipality where candidates will be allowed to place a limited number of their signs. Some municipalities are already doing this. Other do not.
Unfortunately, our Local Government Election act leaves too many issues to the discretion of local councils, and the actual electoral systems used in various municipalities vary from progressive and democratic to outdated and barely democratic. It’s essential for the provincial government to take a leadership role and streamline the electoral process everywhere in the province.
Vladimir Krasnogor,
New Westminster
