Saanich council ponders drive-through voting
Saanich council is warming to the idea of drive-through voting booths, approving a motion to study ways to boost voter turnout.
Coun. Judy Brownoff, who put forward the motion, said municipalities need to think outside the box when trying to get more people to the polls.
“We need to think: ‘What’s convenient? How are we going to engage younger families and youth?’ ” Brownoff asked.
Calgary offered drive-through voting during advance polling for its municipal election this month, and it was used by 3,006 people. But some voters complained about long waits. The city had a record turnout for advance voting and the election saw a 58.1 per cent voter turnout, a significant improvement over the 39.5 per cent recorded in the 2013 election.
It’s unclear what impact drivethrough voting had on the turnout.
An option that would avoid pollution from cars idling while drivers wait to vote is to follow Regina’s lead and erect polling stations at shopping centres, Brownoff said.
“Wouldn’t it be great to have a polling station at Uptown?”
During the 2014 municipal elections, Saanich recorded a 35 per cent turnout, which was lower than Victoria, where 39 per cent of eligible residents voted. Oak Bay’s turnout was 43 per cent.
Turnout for Saanich’s byelection in September was 11.4 per cent or 9,521 ballots cast, which was almost double the six per cent of voters who turned up for a 2001 byelection.
Brownoff said when Saanich residents were asked in a survey why they didn’t vote, about 50 per cent said they were too busy.
Many people were happy to see polling stations in recreational centres during the September byelection, she said. Mobile polling stations at universities and seniors’ homes could also boost turnout.
Brownoff’s motion, approved Monday night, will ask staff to write a report on alternative voting options.
“It’s just trying to simplify it so that people don’t have a reason to say: ‘No, I won’t bother.’ Let’s create an opportunity for more voting,” Brownoff said.