Low voter turnout in elections not new
Only a third or less of eligible voters have bothered to mark ballots in Kelowna elections during the last 3 decades
Ahigh-profile Kelowna mayoral contest, even one between friends turned political adversaries, is no guarantee of a strong voter turnout in today’s civic election. Incumbent Colin Basran faces off against top challenger Tom Dyas in a field of four candidates.
Voter turnouts do typically spike during elections when there is a strongly contested race for mayor. But the number of people marking a ballot has not even reached 50 per cent of all eligible voters in recent memory.
The low turnouts have persisted despite attempts by election officials to expand voting opportunities by staging more advance polls and taking voting stations into new territory, such as busy shopping malls.
“We’ve had more voting opportunities for this election than ever before,” said Karen Needham, the deputy city clerk who’s serving as Kelowna’s chief election officer.
Through all advance polls, a total of 6,130 people have already cast ballots in the Kelowna election, which along with the mayoral race includes 22 people seeking the eight council spots.
But there are an estimated 100,000 eligible voters in Kelowna, so unless there’s a massive rush at polls today, the final turnout seems likely to be on par with previous elections.
Four years ago, voter turnout in Kelowna was 30 per cent when Basran, then a one-term city councillor, defeated Sharon Shepherd, a former mayor who was attempting a political comeback.
In 2011, voter turnout was 33 per cent when Walter Gray defeated Shepherd, then the incumbent mayor. That election was also enlivened by a pro-business lobby group actively campaigning for the defeat of four incumbent city councillors seen as leaning too far to the left.
The lowest turnout in recent elections was in 2008, when less than 20 per of eligible voters bothered to cast a ballot. But in that election, Shepherd faced no serious opposition and many people took her re-election for granted.
Some people believe voter turnout at municipal elections was higher in the past, when the level of civic engagement is remembered as being higher. But a quick check of the historical record doesn’t support that view.
In 1993, for example, there was a spirited contest in Kelowna between incumbent mayor Jim Stuart and Sharron Simpson, a popular city councillor who was vying to become the city’s first female mayor.
Although that campaign also featured hot-button issues such as the pace of new development, voter turnout ended up being just 35 per cent. In 1990, voter turnout was even worse, at just 29 per cent.
Even as far back as 1962, the 50 per cent voter turnout was elusive. In that election, 49.6 per cent of Kelowna voters showed up at the polls. Pundits were disappointed because they thought it had been a lively campaign between strong candidates.
“I expected closer to 60 per cent because of the evident interest in this election,” Arthur Jackson, a former alderman, said at the time.
*** Voters in all local jurisdictions in the Okanagan go to the polls today. While we don’t have a print edition on Sunday, up-to-date results and stories will be posted tonight on The Daily Courier and Penticton Herald websites with in-depth coverage in our Monday print editions. Okanagan Valley Radio will also have ongoing results at okanaganvalleyradio.com.