We are nearing the time when all candidates will have to put their cards on the table to confirm whether they are running or not in our municipal elections.
Summer holidays are almost over. Everything that can be calculated has been calculated, and now the candidates will have to make their intentions clear.
It makes a big difference in municipal politics whether the incumbents decide to redeclare or not. Municipal politics, even moreso than provincial or federal politics, revolves around name recognition, and incumbents tend to have the advantage heading into the voting season. Usually the competitiveness of a municipal election, or lack thereof, comes down to how many empty seats will exist around the council table come fall.
However, tangential to that status quo is also voter turnout. In Cochrane, voter turnout in 2021 was a measly 33 per cent. With so few voting, it makes sense incumbents, who have long organized and rallied their vote, would have an advantage.
It is incomprehensible why so few voters come out to municipal elections, which are, by far, the elections which have the most immediate and significant impact on voters’ lives. From trash collection to property taxes, those setting those policies get the opportunity to sit around the council table for the next four years after every election.
Given the out-sized impact of local municipal policies on citizen’s lives, one would think that more people would be interested in helping to determine who should be empowered to set those policies.
So, if you care about policies which impact you on a local level, perhaps you should consider taking your municipal election vote more seriously, and go fill out a ballot.
“Never allow someone to be your priority while allowing yourself to be their option”- Mark Twain
