Council panel backs proposal for two more polling stations
Initiative seen as way of increasing voter turnout in North Central, Windsor Park
Ward 3 Coun. Andrew Stevens hopes an extra polling station in the city’s North Central neighbourhood will help improve accessibility and voter turnout in next fall’s municipal election.
“Anything, especially in North Central, we can do to remove those barriers to ensure that polling stations are walkable and accessible for the population, we need to do it,” he said after an executive committee meeting this week.
The committee discussed a report from administration outlining the plan for the election, including an increased budget and an improved communications strategy.
It was approved Wednesday with two amendments, one made by Stevens to add a polling station in North Central, and another by Ward 5 Coun. John Findura to add one in Windsor Park.
North Central has historically low voter turnout rates, which have been attributed to a number of demographic variables, he said, including lack of transportation, low income households and more.
In the 2016 election, some residents faced significant barriers due to the placement of polling stations in the community. Stevens said the ward boundary changes made last year as well as some other changes made by administration have improved the situation this time around, but more still needs to be done, including the addition of the polling station.
While city clerk Jim Nicol warned against doing too much ad hoc polling station additions, Findura argued his ward also struggles with low voter turnout rates, especially in the Windsor Park area because there are a lot of seniors living on their own with limited access to transportation.
Both amendments passed with a majority, but Mayor Michael Fougere was apprehensive, worried it may appear councillors are manipulating the election.
“They are compelling arguments, but I think we have to be careful not to be seen to be directing the administration to do something in a particular ward that an incumbent’s asking for,” he said. “We have to walk that fine line.”
But Stevens said the perception doesn’t matter; accessibility does.
“I’m willing to take the hits when it comes to the appearance of what this looks like,” he said.
“I’d rather have more polling stations than less.”
But increasing polling stations is not a silver bullet to low voter turnout, he said. It’s up to councillors and mayoral candidates make the election “worth turning up for.”
He wants to see candidates engaging with residents, attending public events like town halls and more community associations and groups inviting candidates to speak about real issues and holding them accountable.
Fougere says, generally speaking, that the responsibility lies with the City of Regina as a corporation to promote the election and encourage people to vote.
He hopes the additional funding will help achieve that.
For Stevens, additional polling stations is a good step in the right direction.
“I’m hoping at least that this investment in a new space is a starting point and we can talk about why it’s important for people in North Central and other areas of the city to vote,” he said. “Daily issues affect people. I think this is arguably more important than a provincial election in some respects. I just hope this signals that council cares and we want to make sure people are turning up.”
The report as amended will go to city council on Jan. 29 for final discussion and approval.