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Dismal democracy demonstration

Editor: It’s time to break a disturbing trend in B.C. – the dismal demonstration of democracy by Canadians in municipal elections.
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Four of 170 voters cast ballots in White Rock’s advanced-voting session at White Rock Community Centre Tuesday.

Editor:

It’s time to break a disturbing trend in B.C. – the dismal demonstration of democracy by Canadians in municipal elections.

In recent years, the voter turnout has been around 25-30 per cent. This participation level, coupled with large numbers of candidates, means that it is possible for someone to be elected with as little as 10-12 per cent of the eligible electorate.

Two recent all-candidate meetings in White Rock had surprisingly large turnouts. But when it comes to actually getting out to vote, the vast majority of us can’t be bothered or won’t find the time or the energy to do it.

This is one of the basic fundamentals of a democracy. Thousands of Canadians have given their lives protecting this right for us.

We’ll remember them on Nov. 11. Let’s truly honour them by fulfilling our responsibility to “hold the torch high” – as noted in the poem, In Flanders Fields – and vote this year.

With three advance polls, plus the election date of Nov. 19, we have four chances to choose the leaders who will guide the future for our city. This will be a significant election, and a few extra votes can make a key difference in who will be our mayor and council for the next three years.

It’s such a small thing to do – and yet it means so much. Civic responsibility begins with each one of us, not just with our elected politicians.

Jim McKinlay, White Rock