Municipal Monitor - January/February 2008 - (Page 6)

VIEWPOINT By Andy Koopmans Increasing Voter Turnout that typically takes place during the election period got underway many months prior to the actual election date. This is significantly different from the past when all of the positioning and announcing took place in the very short period of time between the dropping of the election writ and election day. erally released details about their election platform in small pieces that were spaced out over the weeks and months leading up to the actual election day. As a result, I would suggest to you that Ontario’s voters were bored with the election campaign by the time election day rolled around. Voter boredom turned into voter apathy and the election day turnout dropped. Now, I don’t know about you, but to me the scenario I’ve just described sounds a lot like the municipal election experience. Municipal elections are held on a predetermined date which is well known to municipal residents and politicians alike. In the months leading up to the municipal election, individuals seeking municipal office have the opportunity to regularly communicate their political accomplishments and their plans for the future to the electorate either in person or through the news media. Each candidate chooses the timing for the launch of their campaign platform so that their name is fresh in the minds of the voters when they go to the polls. But, as we have seen over the past few elections, voter January/February 2008 A nd so another provincial election has come and gone. You would have thought that Ontario’s first referendum question in many years would have made this an exciting electoral event that would catch the attention and interest of the voting public. However, that was obviously not the case as the voter turnout percentage was substantially lower than the rates from previous elections. What happened? Political analysts have offered numerous reasons for the decline in voter turnout. Depending on their particular viewpoints, they have cited things like the incumbent government’s track record during the previous term or the lack of any particular hot-button issues. But I have a different opinion. Although not based on any statistical research or other analysis, I believe that the decline in voter turnout can be attributed to the introduction of a fixed provincial election date. With the fixed election date wellknown to everyone, including both the present incumbents and the aspiring candidates, the positioning and pronouncing and announcing I believe that the decline in voter turnout can be attributed to the introduction of a fixed provincial election date. Instead, from early in the year, the various news media regularly featured stories which highlighted what the political parties would offer if they were to form the next government. In an attempt to avoid peaking too early with their pre-election campaigns, each of the parties gen- 6 • municipal MONITOR

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Municipal Monitor - January/February 2008

Municipal Monitor - January/February 2008 Contents President’s Message: Recognizing Achievement Viewpoint: Increasing Voter Turnout Building Bridges The Municipal Buddy System Harnessing the Wind Water Under the Bridge Municipal Memos Index to Advertisers

Municipal Monitor - January/February 2008

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