Kelowna Election In Review

[omisimaw]

Apathetic kind of sums it up. Same old, same old!
What is also interesting is the percentage of voter turn out being stated.
According to Stats Canada there were over 136,000 persons eligible to vote.
It is fair to say more individuals have moved both in and out since 2006, however given this figure and given the fact only 16825 persons voted for the mayor this is far from the 20% being bantered around.
And right out of the gate to fix the apathy the Mayor wants a modified ward system to encourage voters! What she means by a modified ward system is unknown. However one only needs to look at the only BC ward area, Lake Country on this one. One race, with less than 1500 votes total, does not really give anyone the impression of interest in local politics.

[Struts 'N' Stuff Auto]

Maybe voter turnout would be better if we actually had someone new with a proper Agenda to vote for? I think the City needs to open up an online website that you can enter your name and address and tell them what you would like to see done in this City!
Most of the problem is people have given up on the City and council to actually do what the people want and need, instead the Mayor and council are in their own little world, doing things that taxpayers cringe about, and not doing things that are necessary to sustain healthy neighborhoods in existance!

If the Mayor wants to try to understand why voter turnout is so low, open up a proper website to direct questions and comments to her office, or appropriate council offices, and also reply to those who have concerns!

[Bsuds]

I think part of the poor turn out may be attributed to having too many choices for Councilor and not enough for Mayor. People may have been confused by the abundance of choices and just not bothered.

Also lots of people don't realize they don't have to choose 8, they can vote for only 1 or 2 if they want.

I think we got a diverse new council and I hope they get support from the community and do a good job.

Congratulations to all of them.

[Nebula]

According to Stats Canada there were over 136,000 persons eligible to vote.

Considering Statistics Canada reports the 2006 census population as 106,707, there can't be 136,000 persons eligible to vote.

There were 80,905 Canadian citizens aged 18 or over. It cannot be determined how many of them were eligible but one can assume most were.

16,825 voters / 80,905 = 20.8%.

[BoyWondering]

I think the choice between Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee for Mayor had a lot to do with the pathetic voter turn-out - I'm sure a lot of people looking at those two candidates thought, "Why bother?" Problem is if you don't take the time to educate yourself and vote, then don't complain about the resulting Mayor & Council; it's your apathy that let them in. It was just the same in the Federal election; voter apathy allowed the same tired old crowd to stay in the HoC.

We did get some new blood on Council and I wish them good luck and my support. However, the majority are from the same old crew that have mismanaged this city for years and now we are stuck with them. I'm still shocked that a dynamic area like Kelowna could not attract a decent candidate for the Mayor's job!

[Timi]

Congratulations to our new council. I was happy to see Angela Reid in there strong...and hope to see her as our mayor one day.

My question is how would a ward system improve voter turnout? I don't feel that this is very original. I think we need a vibrant mayoral candidate that will get people excited about voting. If it's not exciting, what is the motivation to get people out there voting? There was also too many choices for council...it was difficult to get to know them.

Maybe next time we could set up polling stations in front of all the entrances to Orchard Park, Wal-Mart, Costco, Canadian Tire etc...they were packed on Saturday, with reminders that voting only takes 10 minutes, political stand up comics entertaining the crowds while they wait to vote. Free coffee and timbits while you wait...or Cinzeo. Maybe a daycare option, like Ikea has, so kids have a fun place to be while parents are voting. A booklet with a page for every candidate, showing their picture, Bio, and what they stand for to review while they wait. Big electronic billboards showing beautiful pictures of Kelowna and it's citizens promoting voting. Just a crazy thought.

But seriously, I am always disappointed that so many people don't care to vote. There's so many people in history that died fighting for the freedom to vote. And even today, there are places in this world where people do not have the option to vote...but, I guess we also have the freedom not to vote...so, I should respect that too I suppose.

[Symbonite]

Maybe next time we could set up polling stations in front of all the entrances to Orchard Park, Wal-Mart, Costco, Canadian Tire etc...they were packed on Saturday, with reminders that voting only takes 10 minutes, political stand up comics entertaining the crowds while they wait to vote. Free coffee and timbits while you wait...or Cinzeo. Maybe a daycare option, like Ikea has, so kids have a fun place to be while parents are voting. A booklet with a page for every candidate, showing their picture, Bio, and what they stand for to review while they wait. Big electronic billboards showing beautiful pictures of Kelowna and it's citizens promoting voting. Just a crazy thought.

Yes I always wonder why they put voting booths in out of the way places. They should put it in one of the empty stores or areas in the mall. More people would vote thats for sure. Especially if theres Coffee and Cinzeo involved.

[ktownafficionado]

I can't believe what Zeger wrote. He is out of touch with the demographic of Kelowna and he is just too extreme. Has he ever tried to understand someone's point of view? I heard many people who told me they wouldn't vote because the signs were a nuisance. The agendas of many of the people were ambigous and disenfranchised and downright formulaic. Why not do something to prove your point, have a concert downtown and tell those walking by who you are and if you're voted in then there would be more of this, raise some funds for the 30K club if you want to fight homelessness, etc. make a name for yourself instead of whining after the fact. We don't know you and it's obvious, John, you don't know us. I agree, make the polling stations open for 5 days over in the most obvious spots in town. Have the candidates spend some of the dough they spend on ridiculous signage and put it in a pool for mail out ballots for the parts of the city with a high population, ie: seniors communites (Guisachan area and around Rutland).

[omisimaw]

According to Stats Canada there were over 136,000 persons eligible to vote.

Considering Statistics Canada reports the 2006 census population as 106,707, there can't be 136,000 persons eligible to vote.

There were 80,905 Canadian citizens aged 18 or over. It cannot be determined how many of them were eligible but one can assume most were.

16,825 voters / 80,905 = 20.8%.

2006 stats
http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/trends/Table_1.cfm?GEOCODE=915&GEOLVL=CMA&PRCODE=59&T=CMA

Population count : 162,276

They break it down further by percentages of the total and given it was 2 years ago and people age, die and come and go I will stand by my figures +/- say 5,000.

Where is your information on 2008 CC aged 18 or over coming from?

But suffice to say even the City can not determine a correct or accurate figure because they do not keep a voters list. So we are all just guessing but suffice to say it was the lowest ever and getting worse each 3 years and thinking a ward system is the anwer is ludicrous.

[Nom_de_Plume]

actually that population count of over 162,000 is for the regional district of the central okanagan
census 2006

city of kelowna population is around 100,000

taken from city of kelowna website
http://www.kelowna.ca/CM/Page130.aspx

[twentyandholding]

Here we are again, blah,blah,blah, what i would like to know is when this women came up with the ward sysetem, only after kim oullette brought this up at the all canadiates 1150am forum,and from what i recall brain griven and charlie did not support a ward system, kelowna was not big enough to warrent this yet. amazing just to refresh your momoiers abit kim oullette said in her shaw tv interview that she would implement a streeing committe to bring all resiants assciotion to together, for a more open city government, not to get people out to vote.
I was a little shocked to see you people turn mean and nasty towards the one person who a least stood up and gave us a chose, were where the imcumbermants? not to step up, none of these experence people gave us the choise. I want you to know it takes guts to give peole a choice without choice where would wee be from www1 and www2 these peolple gave a choice by fighting forr are rights, may not be to that scale but a choice is better than a kick in the pants, and to write that she may be a tweddle de or tweddle dum is just plain ignorent and with no regard to her feelings. were you not brrought with respect for others. you all where woundering back awhiel ago who? who? would run agaist mayor sharon shepard. well no one from coucll did. well someone did kim oullette. give her the credit she deserves for giving us that choice.
if you think running for mayor is easy where were you? theres another choice did you step up, and if you did would you have the expecene, if you answered no, and you still runned would that make you any less for standing up for waht you believe.

I am tried to hear all this talk of meaness. for all who run in this election you did well period..

[Nebula]

2006 stats
http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/trends/Table_1.cfm?GEOCODE=915&GEOLVL=CMA&PRCODE=59&T=CMA

Population count : 162,276

You are using the wrong numbers. The link above is to the stats for Kelowna CMA (Census Metropolitan Area). A CMA is the geographical area around a city. In this case it would include Lake Country, Westside, etc.

[Fancy]

pssst ... West Kelowna - not Westside

[Nebula]

pssst... It's still Westside until the letters patent changes.

[Fancy]

Oh I know writerdave - still hoping for Westbank lol. Back to the ward system, I would have thought the mayor had considered a ward system back when Lake Country established theirs. Never mind other areas have them as well so it's not a new concept.