Strong advance polls point to higher turnout in today's civic elections
Times Colonist
November 15, 2014
Advance polls have attracted significantly higher numbers of voters this civic election, amid tight mayoral races and hotly debated issues such as regional sewage treatment and the rising cost for the Johnson Street Bridge replacement.
Victoria’s four advance polls attracted more than double the number of voters this time, at 3,144, versus 1,408 in 2011. The city introduced two additional advance polls and for the first time hosted an early poll outside municipal boundaries at the University of Victoria.
Saanich residents also made a strong showing at advance polls. About 4,080 voted early compared with 1,264 in 2011, while in Esquimalt, 1,077 voters cast ballots in two advance polls, more than twice the 425 who voted in advance polls three years ago.
Oak Bay, which had one of the highest voter turnouts in the province in 2011 with 41 per cent, saw 1,234 electors cast ballots early this time — a 24 per cent increase over three years ago.
Former Oak Bay mayor Christopher Causton, who didn’t seek re-election in 2011 after serving 15 years as mayor, said he has never seen so many election lawn signs.
Causton said he can remember when posting an election lawn sign in Oak Bay was the kiss of death for a candidate. “I never put up a single sign. Never. Now you can’t go any block anywhere without seeing a sign.”
Victoria Coun. Shellie Gudgeon, who is stepping down after one term on council, predicts a higher-than-normal turnout in general voting today across the region, in part because amalgamation questions are on ballots. Residents in eight of the region’s 13 municipalities will vote on amalgamation-related questions.
Hotly contested races are also spurring voter interest: Mayors of all four core municipalities face competition from serious challengers.
Dave Saunders, who served as Colwood mayor from 2008 to 2011, said there’s one thing that always attracts a higher turnout. “Big issues bring people out to vote,” he said.
In West Shore communities, those issues have included things like taxes, big-ticket expenses and referendums on municipal infrastructure such as the Q Centre (called Bear Mountain Arena when it opened), Saunders said.
The West Shore was home to the region’s highest and lowest voter turnouts in 2011. Metchosin led with 48.82 per cent, while Langford had only 13.85 per cent, lowest in the province.
This time around, former Malahat-Juan de Fuca MLA Rick Kasper expects Langford’s turnout to rise, pointing to the fact that there are more Langford candidates than usual — 14 running for six council seats, compared with 2011’s eight.
“This is the most hotly contested election that I’ve seen,” said Kasper, who is running for re-election in Sooke, which is also proving to be an engaging race. An all-candidates meeting on Nov. 4 drew almost 400 residents to hear incumbent councillors and mayoral hopefuls Maja Tait and Herb Haldane debate.
Advance polls in Sooke drew 1,184 voters — for a community with an estimated 9,354 eligible voters, that’s significant.
“I wouldn’t want to say a percentage but it’s way, way up,” said Sooke election officer Kerry Fedosinko. Turnout in 2011 was 41.92 per cent.
Political scientist Norman Ruff, professor emeritus at UVic, said a number of issues, from the Johnson Street Bridge in Victoria to the continuing sewage debate in the rest of the region, bode well for turnout.
“Being an incumbent may not be the slam-dunk and varnish that it usually is,” Ruff said, adding he was surprised at the strong turnout at UVic last week when Oak Bay, Saanich and Victoria held advance polls.
“There were lineups. Not all of them were students but the majority were students,” Ruff said. “I must say I was taken aback. I thought, my gosh, this is not the student constituency that I remember.”
- See more at: http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/strong-advance-polls-point-to-higher-turnout-in-today-s-civic-elections-1.1587366#sthash.SyGQRuhd.dpuf
Times Colonist
November 15, 2014
Advance polls have attracted significantly higher numbers of voters this civic election, amid tight mayoral races and hotly debated issues such as regional sewage treatment and the rising cost for the Johnson Street Bridge replacement.
Victoria’s four advance polls attracted more than double the number of voters this time, at 3,144, versus 1,408 in 2011. The city introduced two additional advance polls and for the first time hosted an early poll outside municipal boundaries at the University of Victoria.
Saanich residents also made a strong showing at advance polls. About 4,080 voted early compared with 1,264 in 2011, while in Esquimalt, 1,077 voters cast ballots in two advance polls, more than twice the 425 who voted in advance polls three years ago.
Oak Bay, which had one of the highest voter turnouts in the province in 2011 with 41 per cent, saw 1,234 electors cast ballots early this time — a 24 per cent increase over three years ago.
Former Oak Bay mayor Christopher Causton, who didn’t seek re-election in 2011 after serving 15 years as mayor, said he has never seen so many election lawn signs.
Causton said he can remember when posting an election lawn sign in Oak Bay was the kiss of death for a candidate. “I never put up a single sign. Never. Now you can’t go any block anywhere without seeing a sign.”
Victoria Coun. Shellie Gudgeon, who is stepping down after one term on council, predicts a higher-than-normal turnout in general voting today across the region, in part because amalgamation questions are on ballots. Residents in eight of the region’s 13 municipalities will vote on amalgamation-related questions.
Hotly contested races are also spurring voter interest: Mayors of all four core municipalities face competition from serious challengers.
Dave Saunders, who served as Colwood mayor from 2008 to 2011, said there’s one thing that always attracts a higher turnout. “Big issues bring people out to vote,” he said.
In West Shore communities, those issues have included things like taxes, big-ticket expenses and referendums on municipal infrastructure such as the Q Centre (called Bear Mountain Arena when it opened), Saunders said.
The West Shore was home to the region’s highest and lowest voter turnouts in 2011. Metchosin led with 48.82 per cent, while Langford had only 13.85 per cent, lowest in the province.
This time around, former Malahat-Juan de Fuca MLA Rick Kasper expects Langford’s turnout to rise, pointing to the fact that there are more Langford candidates than usual — 14 running for six council seats, compared with 2011’s eight.
“This is the most hotly contested election that I’ve seen,” said Kasper, who is running for re-election in Sooke, which is also proving to be an engaging race. An all-candidates meeting on Nov. 4 drew almost 400 residents to hear incumbent councillors and mayoral hopefuls Maja Tait and Herb Haldane debate.
Advance polls in Sooke drew 1,184 voters — for a community with an estimated 9,354 eligible voters, that’s significant.
“I wouldn’t want to say a percentage but it’s way, way up,” said Sooke election officer Kerry Fedosinko. Turnout in 2011 was 41.92 per cent.
Political scientist Norman Ruff, professor emeritus at UVic, said a number of issues, from the Johnson Street Bridge in Victoria to the continuing sewage debate in the rest of the region, bode well for turnout.
“Being an incumbent may not be the slam-dunk and varnish that it usually is,” Ruff said, adding he was surprised at the strong turnout at UVic last week when Oak Bay, Saanich and Victoria held advance polls.
“There were lineups. Not all of them were students but the majority were students,” Ruff said. “I must say I was taken aback. I thought, my gosh, this is not the student constituency that I remember.”
- See more at: http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/strong-advance-polls-point-to-higher-turnout-in-today-s-civic-elections-1.1587366#sthash.SyGQRuhd.dpuf