Voting processes for Gabriola’s Improvement District Trustees has been problematic for a number of years; it took a concerted effort back in the day to get an advance nomination period and longer voting times, but we got it.
However this year only a ‘mid-week, working-day’ option on which to vote is being offered, despite this entry in the March 2023, monthly public meeting minutes: “Absentee ballots: Trustees stated no change for this year; will require a lot more time to set up.”
Two years is ‘a lot of time’ and yet, there is still no advance poll or mail-in voting option at the time of writing.
At the very least, there should be advanced polls on Sunday, June 8 and Sunday, June 15.
Did you know that mail-in ballots for both the Islands Trust and the Regional District of Nanaimo are mandated for general elections?
Improvement Districts such as ours should have them too.
Perhaps the Fire Trustees think mail-in ballots to be a lot of trouble with little return.
Democracy is worth a lot of trouble.
In 2018, there were 3,846 eligible voters for Gabriola. 3,015 votes were cast for the Islands Trust candidates on Gabriola. 52 of those were either first-advance-day or mail-in ballots. 433 were second-advance-day votes. 16% of the votes cast were advance or mail-in. That same year, there were 1,721 votes cast for Area B Director for the RDN. 33 were first-advance-day or Mail-In. 248 were second-advance-day. Again, that’s 16% of the votes being cast in advance or by mail.
In 2022, there were 4,131 eligible voters for Gabriola. For Islands Trust, there were 2,657 total votes cast. 49 were first-advance or mail-in. 434 were second-advance. That’s an 18% advance voter turnout, even as total turnout was lower (33.4%) than in 2018 (44.5%). Area B Director was an acclamation in 2022.
I think fair voting practices are worth Trustees’ time and a slice of a million dollar budget.
If you agree, please write to the Trustees c/o corporateofficer@gabriolafire.ca
~ Penelope Bahr
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