[/caption]Bob Ewing - Why vote? A question I get asked often and one I now and then ask myself. May 14th is municipal Election Day here in the province of New Brunswick. I have just returned from the advance poll where I cast my vote for city council and the district school board. This year the Mayor was acclaimed, no one came forward to run against him.
What this means, I am not going to guess, it could mean anything from voter apathy to community approval of his performance, and at this point it does not matter. He is the Mayor for another four year term. Municipal elections are held ever four years here.
So, why did I walk to the poll and cast my ballot? The fundamental answer to this; it is both my right and my duty as a citizen to take part in the process. Democracy, if it is going to work, and that can be a big if, requires that the people take part and not just sit on the sidelines and criticize and second guess.
Casting a vote is the most basic form of civic involvement, casting an informed vote is a much more complex matter. In the New Brunswick municipal elections there are no political parties in the race. What this means is that candidates do not identify themselves along party lines (Liberal, Conservative, Green, New Democratic, for example); although here there are only two viable parties the Liberal and the Conservatives.
Municipal candidates run on their name, their experience and track record. Now, having said that, I live in a small town, and people tend to know where your support lies at the provincial and federal levels, where political allegiance plays a major role.
Why vote, well not only is it a civic duty to get out and make a choice but, at the municipal level, at least, the outcome does matter. City council looks after very basic daily realities, roads, sidewalks, parks, swimming pools, skating rinks and so on.
City councils also face harsh financial realities and when faced with a cash crunch, such as they are now, they may only have two choices, raise taxes or cut services and we all know how popular raising taxes plays out.
So, what this means to the citizen is simple, you will feel the direct impact on your daily life of the choices you have made when voting in a municipal election. Look at it this way; decisions are made by those who show up.