If you had an unlimited budget – or at least, you didn’t have to worry a whole lot about the cost – how would you get voters to turn out at the polls for municipal elections?
I got to thinking about that after the election results. The voter turn out in Strathcona County was reported at 36.6%. According to the County website, this is slightly higher than our average.
Although it is great that we had a higher than average turnout, it still means that more than 63% or 40,761 people didn’t bother or felt they had better things to do.
I am assuming there are a number of reasons why these 40,761 people didn’t vote. My bet would be that at the top of the list is a feeling of apathy or a sense that their vote doesn’t really make a difference. How can we change that misconception? Other people may not have educated themselves on the candidates and therefore felt voting didn’t make much sense. How do you prompt people to care enough to educate themselves?
As a communicator, these questions have been on my mind a lot, even before the latest election results. Influencing behaviour is always an uphill battle but not impossible.
Here are some off-the-top-of-my-head suggestions:
Remove barriers:
- On Election Day, have a special free transit routes set up within Wards that take people directly to their polling station. For example, a bus loops around Georgian Way in Glen Allen picking up voters and dropping them off at the Cultural Hall at Latter Day Saints Church. Heading back with voters who have finished voting.
- Provide phone apps with location of polling stations, hours, candidate’s websites etc.
- Extend voting hours until 9 pm. This gives people who commute into Edmonton for work extra time to get home, eat, settle the kids etc. With electronic counting, the results are available within the hour anyway.
Educate:
- Work with schools and school boards to educate students on rights and responsibilities of a citizen. Have field trips for high school students to Council meetings.
- Provide consistent and informative communication to residents on County business, policies and procedures. Encourage involvement by having Council meetings at friendlier times and places. Not always daytime and not always County Hall.
Create awareness
- All Councillors should make it a priority to be engaged and actively participating in the process with residents, even outside of election time. This means returning phone calls, showing up at meetings, educating residents on the system and encouraging their participation in the workings of their town.
- As election time comes near, a kick-butt communications plan should be put into high gear to encourage participation. This might include informational sessions in the mall, an elections hotline, buttons, posters, ambassadors, advertisements…..
How about we do some brainstorming? What other ideas do you think would work?
