a day ago
Back-to-back elections could wear out voters and hurt engagement, advocate says
A voting advocate is warning of the effects election fatigue could have ahead of the possibility of Newfoundland and Labrador municipal and provincial elections falling within just days of each other.
General municipal elections in the province are held every four years on the last Tuesday in September, which would have been Sept. 30. But the provincial government announced it would change the date this year and move elections to Oct. 2 so they wouldn't interfere with the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
A provincial election has yet to be called, but must occur on or before Oct. 14.
Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador president Amy Coady says the situation could be problematic both for voters and those running for office.
"This will be three elections for us this year. We just came out of a federal election, there has to be a provincial election and there will be a municipal election," she told CBC Radio's On the Go.
"Voter fatigue, you know, is real."
Coady says fatigue can play out in different ways, like seeing what can feel like an overload of road signs or having several candidates and volunteers — some of whom have worked with other candidates in the past, she added — constantly knocking at your door.
It can all lead to confusion, she says, which could deter people from being actively engaged in both municipal and provincial elections.
Having two elections around the same time can also hurt the candidate pool, Coady says, as many involved in municipal government often consider taking a run at provincial politics.
"If they run provincially and aren't successful, they've passed the nomination deadline for running municipally. So you're losing candidates that way," she said.
Coady says she believes both candidates and residents have a role to play in keeping engagement up.
Candidates will have to work extra hard to make sure they let the public know a municipal candidate from a provincial candidate, and she recommends things like making sure messaging is clear and avoiding the use of colours of provincial parties in municipal campaigns.
For residents, it's all about making sure they know who is who, what they stand for, and the issues that fall within their jurisdiction, Coady added.
She hopes the issue of back-to-back elections could be resolved through fixed-election date legislation in the future, or ensuring governments make sure provincial elections fall far enough away from municipal ones in September.
