EDITORIAL – Never mind the rain; get to a polling station and vote tomorrow

An editorial by Mel Rothenburger.

BIG DECISION to make tomorrow (Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024). Those who haven’t already voted in advance polls will trek to gymnasiums and churches and other venues to help pick who will represent them in Victoria.

The choices have probably never been more clearly defined. With the BC Liberals/ BC United out of the picture, there are only three mainstream parties left plus, in some ridings, independents.

It’s left versus right. The record versus promises. Who do we think can do the best job on the issues.

Some of us will decide, or have already decided, based on party leaders. Others will decide based on the candidates. Still others will have single issues we feel strongly about, versus who we think will do the best job in general.

And then, of course, there are factors such as experience versus new blood, youth versus maturity, and likeability.

Many say the choices aren’t inviting, that they feel left out of this election. Fact remains, though, that it is what it is. A decision must be made.

This has been a strange election campaign in many ways. It’s sped by, seemingly with little chance to absorb the platforms of the parties or the qualities of the candidates. Day after day, we’ve been assailed with announcements of what they’ll do, but also with their words of condemnation aimed at opponents. Much of the latter have been based on perceived character flaws as much as on policy differences.

In the newly configured Kamloops-North Thompson riding, Ward Stamer of the Conservatives, Maddi Genn of the NDP and Tristan Cavers of the Greens have waged campaigns of varying intensity. In the new Kamloops Centre, Peter Milobar stands as a Conservative rather than his previous attachment to the BC Liberals/ BC United. Challenging him are Kamal Grewal of the New Democrats and Randy Sunderman of the Greens.

Tough choices. We could just stay home and wipe our hands of the whole process. Early indications are that British Columbians aren’t doing that — advance voting numbers are encouraging. Making use of the privilege of voting is important. Those who represent us in elected office should have strong mandates.

Most of them won’t get a majority. They’ll receive less than 50 per cent of the votes cast. That’s not the important number. The important one is the turnout. In the 2020 B.C. general election, 53.86 per cent of eligible voters turned out. In the 2017 election, the turnout was 61.18 per cent, and four years earlier it was 57.19 per cent. The days when B.C. elections attracted turnouts of more than 70 per cent seem to be behind us.

This year, more than a million voters took advantage of early voting, a record. More than 28 per cent have already voted — that’s the same kind of total turnout percentages we’re used to seeing in municipal elections.

Whether the impressive turnout in early voting is a sign of a high turnout tomorrow, or means the opposite, remains to be seen. It’s going to pour rain tomorrow in much of the province, including the Kamloops region. A little rain shouldn’t stop anyone from exercising their franchise. Put on a slicker and a pair of gumboots and get to the polling station.

Mel Rothenburger is a former regular contributor to CFJC-TV and CBC radio, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award, and a Webster Foundation Commentator of the Year finalist. He has served as mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired daily newspaper editor.  He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.