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Municipal Elections - and too many votes!

By
Real Estate Sales Representative with Sage Executive Group Real Estate

On November 19th I will be invited to vote in my first British Columbia Municipal Election. As a registered voter, I qualify to place my vote or X beside the 1-Mayor (5 Candidates)  and 8-City Councilor's (42 Candidates) who I deem will best represent my needs over the next 3 years.

That is correct - 42 excellent candidates have allowed their names to stand in a bid to be my elected officials. And therein lies my dilemma. Not being a statistician - I am unable to compute the variables available whith so many persons running and each registered and eligible voter being given 8 choices. In my mathematical jumble of comprehension I am able to deduce the most popular candidate may take seats 1, 2 and 3 ... but then name familiarity or alphabetical listings may come into play.

Given a list of 42 names, and the encouragement to select 8 - what are the chances that the 8 best candidates will rise to the top? It boggles my mind to try and figure it out.. but I cannot help but reason it may be the 2nd or 3rd tier candidate that will win - as the top contenders will be split amongst family and friends, whilst the 'he'd be OK, or I saw her sign on the boulevard' candidates may be everyone's 6th or 7th choice - thereby making them the 'popular' vote.

So who wins? Maybe the mediocre candidate? Or the one who spends the most time DRIVING THE VOTE?

 

 

Driving The Vote

Posted by

Sharon Lancaster

Real Estate and Marketing Professional

Homes From the Heart

Comments (2)

Brian Madigan
RE/MAX West Realty Inc., Brokerage (Toronto) - Toronto, ON
LL.B., Broker

Sharon,

That's difficult with so many candidates. But, I suppose that's democracy.

Brian

Nov 03, 2011 02:23 PM
Sharon Lancaster
Sage Executive Group Real Estate - Kelowna, BC
SRES, Realty Executives Okanagan

I wonder if the system is flawed, though? I cannot help but feel the numbers will not add up to electing the 'best' person for the positions.... time will tell!

Nov 04, 2011 05:27 AM