-Media Release-
City council candidate warns about 3 major factors undermining democracy in 2018
New Westminster (Sept 2, 2018): A New Westminster city council candidate is raising a red flag over province-wide record low voter turnout, and calling for municipal agencies to invest immediately in awareness building campaigns. Daniel Fontaine, a city council candidate with the New West Progressives, is calling upon the Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) and the Metro Vancouver Regional District to take immediate steps to raise awareness of the pending local government election on October 20th.
“There are now less than 50 days left until Election Day, and we are simply not doing enough to increase awareness of the pending election,” says Fontaine. “I have been knocking on doors all summer, and I am struck by the number of citizens who have no idea it is an election year. It is not too late for agencies like UBCM and Metro Vancouver to support awareness building campaigns both regionally and across the province. Protecting and promoting local democracy should be at the core of their respective mandates.”
Fontaine flags three major factors that are driving down public awareness, or creating voter confusion. First, by moving the election to October from November, candidates and voters are being denied approximately four weeks of the crucial post-Labour Day campaign period. Second, new legislation banning union and corporate donations has significantly reduced advertising budgets used to familiarize voters with candidates and election platforms. Finally, the concurrent campaigning on behalf of proportional representation referendum campaigns is leading to voter confusion.
“What we are seeing is the unintended consequences of policy decisions that are affecting municipal elections, and representative organizations like UBCM and Metro Vancouver appear to be doing nothing in response,” adds Fontaine. “New Westminster had about 28 percent voter turnout in 2014, which is far too low to begin with. I fear that it could be much worse this year.”
A review of the UBCM and Metro Vancouver websites reveal no information or promotion about the civic election. Neither organization has undertaken a public awareness campaign this year to get out the vote, yet each claim to represent the interests of local governments. UBCM championed for changes to election finance rules, but did not provide alternatives for raising voter awareness once campaign budgets dried up.
“At a minimum, all local governments including the City of New Westminster and their representatives at UBCM and Metro Vancouver should be setting targets to increase voter turnout well above the shockingly low levels we see today,” says Fontaine. “I\’m sure many of my fellow candidates around B.C. will agree we must do more to promote our municipal elections.”
Low voter turnout typically benefits incumbent politicians, which could explain the indifference shown to this issue by current councils. Fontaine says if elected he will support increasing budgets to promote municipal elections.