A flood of candidates

Is there such a thing as too much democracy? Looking at municipal ballots in B.C., it might seem that way. When nominations for the Oct. 20 elections closed on Friday, some municipalities listed an embarrassment of candidates.

Take Nanaimo, where 40 people are running for eight seats on council, while four others will campaign for mayor. In Victoria, 10 people, including Mayor Lisa Helps, are running for the top job, while 29 will contest eight council positions.

Across the pond in the City of Vancouver, a bewildering 21 hopefuls are running for mayor and 71 for 10 council seats.

What’s a voter to do? While we should be excited that so many British Columbians are willing to serve in elected office, residents can only be intimidated by a ballot that looks more like a phone book.

The public woes of Nanaimo council might be one reason for high numbers there, with voters eager to “throw out the bums.” But another could be the revised election financing rules, which limited expenses and abolished donations from unions and businesses. Without the need to secure that kind of backing, more people might feel empowered to put forward their names.

Although more diverse voices benefit the public debate, how are those voices to be heard above the cacophony? How are individuals to stand out?

The likely result is that only those with name recognition — such as the incumbents — will have a hope of succeeding. By trying to encourage new blood, the provincial government might just have guaranteed the status quo.