Is voting rocket science?
The number of voters who cast ballots in the municipal elections recently on Vancouver Island was embarrassingly low.
Even in Parksville, where there was plenty to talk about, only 43 per cent of voters showed up at the polls. And that was higher than the provincial average.
Many folks that we’ve talked to are flabbergasted as to why numbers are that low, given the times we live in and the issues being debated.
It’s especially poignant at this time of the year when we reflect on the numbers of people who sacrificed their lives for our democratic rights in a war, voting being one of them.
South of the border, we saw the problems they have had accommodating voters at the polling booth in some of the U.S. states in the recent midterm elections.
Broken machines, long lineups, eligibility being challenged. Those people wanted to vote.
Several years ago, Elections BC introduced the neat little scanning machine that record our votes at the voting station and tabulates the results, lickety split.
When will someone hook that to the interwebs, so we can access from our digital devices and vote in the comfort of our home?
Are we that worried about the Russians picking the next mayor or school trustee?
Oh wait, Estonia has had internet voting since 2015, so no.
Back in 1993, Liberals in Nova Scotia chose the leader of their party using a phone vote.
Each member was registered and received a PIN, and called in to vote.
It wasn’t perfect, it had glitches — but it eventually worked.
In B.C., we’re in the middle of a referendum on electoral reform, and early this week, just one per cent of the mail-in ballots have been sent in.
Might have been easier to simply have the question on the ballot during the municipal elections.
If we are having problems getting people to vote at the community level, what are the chances of success for a mail-in vote?
Perhaps we should follow Australia’s lead of making voting compulsory.
We have four years before the next round of municipal elections, let’s hope someone sees the way to develop an app, sidestep the viruses and make it easier for the next generation to become involved in democracy.
There’s too much at stake to not consider a way to ensure more voices are heard.