Advance voting begins for Vancouver election with 'daunting' ballot
The ballot in Vancouver’s city election is one of the longest in the country, and voters are being encouraged to take advantage of advance polls that began opening Saturday.
Not only is voting early a good way to avoid long lines, it may also give voters extra time to complete a ballot that’s described as rather intimidating.
“Oh my gosh, it is absolutely daunting," said Danielle Johnston, manager of democratic engagement for the City of Vancouver.
“This is literally my job and I find it daunting,” she admitted.
There are 137 candidates running for various positions, and voters are being asked to choose 10 city councillors, seven park board commissioners, nine school trustees and one mayor.
There are also three capital plan questions.
“If you are a well-informed voter, you’ll know who you’re choosing, but it can be quite complicated for somebody who’s doing it for the first time,” said pollster Mario Canseco.
In a bid to make things equitable, candidates are listed randomly, not alphabetically. That means it will likely take voters longer to find their preferred candidates.
There is no need to vote in every category, nor is their a need to vote for all 10 councillors or all seven park board commissioners, and so on.
“Let’s say you only have five councillors you feel strongly about," said Johnston. "You can select those five, leave the other five spots blank, (and) that is a fully valid vote.”
But voters must be careful not to choose more candidates than indicated on the ballot, or their choices will be deemed invalid. For example, nine school trustees need to be elected. Voters can choose none, a few, or all nine, but if 10 candidates are marked, the vote won’t count.
“This is more like a 6/49 ticket,” said Canseco. “You have to be very careful about the way you do it, make sure that everything is going to count, and not put more names than you have to.”
The good news is that the computerized ballot tabulator will catch mistakes on the spot, and an election official can provide a new ballot once the erroneous one is destroyed.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
4th Indian national arrested, charged with murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Homicide investigators in B.C. say murder charges have been laid against a fourth Indian national in connection to the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Surrey gurdwara last year.
'I am angry': Alberta farmers will continue fight over world class motorsport resort
The rolling hills leading to the hamlet of Rosebud are dotted with sprawling farms and cattle pastures -- and a sign sporting a simple message: No Race Track.
Man ticketed after allegedly trespassing again at Drake's Bridle Path mansion to get his bike
A man who tried to access Drake’s Bridle Path mansion earlier this week returned to the property Saturday and was apprehended again for allegedly trespassing, Toronto police say.
Couple randomly attacked, 1 stabbed, by group of teens in Toronto, police say
A man has been transported to hospital after police say he was stabbed in a random attack carried out by a group of teens in Toronto on Friday night.
Millions of Canadians have been exposed to potentially toxic chemicals, and they're not going anywhere
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
Biden calls Trump 'unhinged,' says 'something snapped' in former president after he lost 2020 U.S. election
U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday called Donald Trump “clearly unhinged” and claimed that “something snapped” in the former president after he lost the 2020 election.
Wildfire that forced evacuation of Fort Nelson, B.C., caused by tree falling on wires, mayor says
The wildfire that prompted the evacuation of more than 3,000 people near Fort Nelson, B.C., was caused by a tree falling on wires, according to the municipality's mayor.
Switzerland's Nemo wins 68th Eurovision Song Contest
Swiss singer Nemo won the 68th Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday night with 'The Code,' an operatic ode to the singer’s journey toward embracing their nongender identity.
IN PICTURES Northern lights dance across the night sky in southern Ont.
From London, to Grand Bend, Collingwood and Guelph, here are some highlights of Friday night and Saturday morning's northern lights display.