We know voter turnout in municipal elections is abysmally low. But fear not, I have a fun way to prepare so you are fully informed for Nov. 15. One of the common reasons I've heard for not voting is: "I don't know enough about the issues or the candidates."
Here's what I am doing with my good friend Maddy Kipling to help prepare for the municipal election.
We are hosting an afternoon event where friends who attend have each been given a study assignment to report back on. For example, my assignment is COPE transit. (I live in Vancouver, not Burnaby.) That means I have to read COPE's platform, and anything else I can get my hands on about COPE's plan for transit, and then report back to the group. Others will be researching bits of platforms from other parties. There will also be drinks and snacks, and the event will be fun and informative.
We created a Facebook page for the event to invite friends, and as I write this, we have 18 people planning to attend. The event is called More Than 30%, because that's roughly how many people actually show up at the polls in municipals elections, and we want to change that.
This is a fun way to get informed, where people split the research work, and no one is stuck reading a boring 40-page platform, although the most responsible way to prepare, in my mind, is to read every boring policy document you can find, and then some.
So if you catch yourself saying, "I don't know who to vote for!" try organizing a simple event like this. Make it fun and social. And be prepared when you show up at the polls, ready to know who you will elect to run your city.
Here are some platforms to get you started.
Here's some info on voter registration and candidates.
