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We need you!
How will you know if things can get better? If you don’t participate in decisionmaking? If you ever wish things were better—or different—don’t you have to do something about it? Don’t we all have a role to play?
In 2022, fewer than half of eligible voters cast ballots in our municipal election. It is a bit soul-squishing to profess the virtues of democracy or the merits of our political system when most of us fail to show up once every four years. Worse, perhaps, is that governments see a malleable, distracted population that can be ignored without cost.
Voter turnout in Prince Edward County reached the high-water mark (47.4 per cent of eligible voters) in 2010. Likely not coincidentally, a question appeared on the ballot that year asking voters whether they favoured a review of council size. The incoming council promptly ignored the large majority (81 per cent) who voted for the review—a choice that may explain the sag in turnout in 2014 and 2018.
But by 2022, the mood for change was building again. Still, participation in the recent election nudged just over 47 per cent.
There are structural challenges in Prince Edward County, for sure. Fully a quarter of eligible voters live here only part-time. It isn’t an excuse. Shire Hall has worked hard to ensure seasonal voters are aware of their rights and responsibilities. It has made accommodations, such as online voting, to make voting easier for them. To participate.
Some, however, may have limited enthusiasm for how the place works. They may not feel welcome to participate. Or that it doesn’t matter that much in their lives. If they have a place in the city, the rising cost of their weekend place may not register. And if it does, they may sell and move on. The ties don’t bind as tightly.
Then there is, of course, plain vanilla complacency, which can infect us all. ‘Nothing changes. Nothing I do will change things’ is the most common expression of this outlook. Municipalities across the country share a similar weariness with local politics. The average voter participation across the province in 2022 was just under 40 per cent.
Complacency, however, bears a cost.
It’s getting harder to ignore, for example, the soaring cost of local government in the County—rising sixfold over a couple of decades—more than double Toronto’s rate of increase. Such costs reshape this place in unintended ways—defining who can live here. And who can’t.
Then there is the low-level grubby corruption that inevitably seeps into governments when they think voters aren’t paying attention. It may take the form of insider dealing or preferential treatment afforded to those with special access. Voters may be forgiven for turning up their noses at the faint whiff of farts.
Some say this newspaper, and this columnist in particular, are to blame for residents’ distaste for local politics. That the critical nature of our coverage discourages participation, especially from those who might consider running. There may be something to this, but I will reiterate—as I do every cycle—all levels of government require scrutiny. Particularly so local government. It is closest to your home—to the services and infrastructure that directly impact your family and neighbours.
Scrutiny is good. Necessary. Vital.
If a candidate seeking a council seat wishes to avoid public scrutiny, they really should consider an alternative way to serve, as governing a local institution inherently requires transparency and accountability.
But effective governance requires more than polite nodding, especially in the local fray.
Local government has no built-in opposition, unlike the province or federal government. Municipal government is the only level where there are no opposition parties. Lacking this structural adversarial tension—councils tend to congeal into self-perpetuating and self-interested clubs. In time, they inevitably become walled off from the voters who sent them to Shire Hall.
So we have a job to do. As grown-ups, we can’t ignore our duties and hope everything turns out okay. We have a responsibility to those who paid a supreme sacrifice to enable us to participate in our governance.
There are many roles that may benefit from your energy and talents in the upcoming municipal election. Be a candidate. Support a candidate. Talk with your neighbours. Discuss the issues around the dinner table. Write letters to the editor.
If you don’t wish to be partisan, help your neighbour get to the polling booth or assist them in working through the online voting process. Given the average age of our County population, any assistance is surely welcome and valued.
Your vote matters more in Prince Edward County. In fact, your vote in the County is worth 80 votes in Toronto. Your voice, your actions and your participation will make a real difference in Prince Edward County.
Consider using it.
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