| In the last round of elections, Calgary’s mayor took power based on the support of nine per cent of the eligible electorate; the prime minister garnered less than 25 per cent and Alberta’s premier less than a third.
That, according to many Canadians, is a sign that voter apathy is a threat to democracy in Canada.
Sue Chambers is one of those concerned citizens. She says there are "a million reasons" for voter apathy, but she’s hoping to move past those and come up with some real solutions to a major problem with Canadian democracy.
Chambers is helping to organize a non-partisan forum on the issue of voter apathy with the goal of coming up with three concrete initiatives that will reinvigorate the democratic process for Canadians who have given up on exercising their franchise.
During a previous forum held last spring, 125 people hammered out five initiatives they thought would make a dent in the apathetic electorate. At the upcoming forum, participants will narrow those proposals down to three, and emerge with implementation plans.
"This is really a huge issue and it is something that’s not going to change overnight, but we thought we had to start somewhere," says Chambers. "This is very grassroots, and it’s a big, ambitious project, but I think it has some promise."
The forum will feature former senator Ron Ghitter, former provincial treasurer Jim Dinning and Rev. Bill Phipps, and will give delegates a chance to learn about each of the initiatives and vote on which they think will be most effective.
Becky Scott, another organizer of the forum, says public interest has been strong – the event was booked solid more than a week in advance – which she feels is an indication of the issue’s importance to the community.
"For me, I’m tired of bitching about the problem and the state of the system," Scott says. "But there is a lot of interest, and if other cities and other people think ‘Joe Schmoe on the street can do something,’ then maybe something can be done."
The five initiatives to combat voter apathy that will be examined at the forum include:
· better public leadership;
· better citizen engagement, by, for example, lowering the voting age;
· the use of technology;
· making institutional changes like proportional representation or implementing term limits;
· involving and educating youth.
Chambers says she knows the problem of voter apathy is daunting, but with so much interest, she hopes the group’s ideas and motivation catch on and spread. There is already interest from other cities eyeing forums of their own.
"In Canada, we’re lucky enough to have the right (to vote), but we also have the responsibility and I think we’ve forgotten that," she says. "
The forum takes place February 11 at the University of Calgary. |
