2013 municipal election campaign gets underway

And so it begins.

Current mayor Rajko Dodic kicked off the campaign season by announcing earlier this week that he wasn’t running in the 2013 municipal election. What this means is that we can expect lots of candidates this election, for both mayor and city council.

Six candidates vied for mayor when David Carpenter stepped down in 2001, and five came forward when Bob Tarleck decided in 2010 not to run for a third term.

Likewise, voters had to chose from among 35 aldermanic candidates in 2001 and 30 in 2010 (33 if you count the byelection held after Bob Babki died).

Current city councillor, Faron Ellis, wasted no time announcing his intention to fill Dodic’s vacancy, becoming the first person to announce a candidacy this election.

His campaign slogan is “reasonable, responsible, and reliable leadership”, which is interesting given he has served only a single term on city council (Dodic had served two, Tarleck had served nine, and Carpenter had served three).

We look forward to the next 5 months.

Further reading

• Mayor Dodic Will Not Seek Re-Election (Country 95)
• Rajko Dodic Will Not Seek Re-Election as Lethbridge Mayor (CJOC)
• Dodic’s Done! (Lethbridge Herald)
• CTV Lethbridge on Dodic announcement
• Councillor Faron Ellis Announces Intentions To Run For Mayor (Country 95)
• Councillor Faron Ellis Announces Intentions to Run For Lethbridge Mayor (CJOC)
• Ellis seeks mayor’s chair (Lethbridge Herald)
• CTV Lethbridge on Ellis announcement

Lethbridge ready to hit the ballot box

Alberta will be choosing a new government today. Five candidates will be fighting for a seat in Lethbridge West, and four in the East, but only one person in each riding will be heading to the legislature.

Polling stations around the city will be opening at 9 a.m. and will remain open until 8:00 p.m. Longer than usual line-ups during the Advanced Polls, and all the excitement surrounding this Election will likely bring more people out to the polls, so do yourself a favour and try to get there early to avoid the line-ups, if you can.

Find your Polling Station

What do you need to bring if you’re not already registered to vote?

Registered voters won’t need ID unless officials at the polls question their identity, but for those who aren’t on the voters’ list, you’ll need to prove your identity and address in order to be able to vote. That could mean a government issued ID with your photo, name and address.

Alternatively, voters can prove they live in a riding with two valid original documents. One piece must include your name, and the other your address (see full list below). Voters also have the option of swearing an oath, and have another eligible voter from the same poll (ie. neighbour or roommate) vouch for your identity.

Valid Identification Documents

• AISH card
• Alta. Forestry ID card
• Alta. Health Care Insurance Plan card
• Alta. Health Services ID band (patient wrist band)
• Alta. Natural resources ID card
• Alta. Service Dog Team ID card
• Alta. Wildlife (WIN) ID card
• Baptismal Certificate
• Birth Certificate
• Can. Air Transportation Security Agency ID Card
• Can. Blood Services card
• CANPASS card (border services accelerated service system)
• Can. Border Services Agency Free and Secure Trade card
• Can. Border Services Agency Nexus card
• Can. Forces Civilian ID card
• Can. Forces Health card
• Can. Forces ID card
• Can. Passport
• Citizenship card
• Can. National Institute for the Blind ID card
• Attestation of Residence (issued by the responsible authority of First Nations band or reserve)
• Bank/credit card statement or personal cheque
• Correspondence issued by a school, college or university
• Government cheque or cheque stub
• Income/property tax assessment notice
• Insurance policy or coverage card
• Letter from a public curator, public guardian or public trustee
• One of the following issued by the responsible authority of a shelter or soup kitchen: Attestation of residence, letter of stay, admission form or statement of benefits
• Pension Plan statement of benefits, contributions or participation
• Prescription bottle insert
• Residential lease or mortgage statement
• Statement of government benefits (Employment insuracne, old-age security, social assistance, disability support, or child tax benefit)
• Utility bill
• Vehicle ownership or insurance certificate

Question of the Day: Political Quote of the Day!

April 23, 2012. On this momentous occasion: Alberta General Election No. 28, the Question of the Day is:

What is your favorite quote about politics?

Here is mine, discovered only minutes ago…

“People often say, with pride, ‘I’m not interested in politics.’ They might as well say, ‘I’m not interested in my standard of living, my health, my job, my rights, my freedoms, my future or any future.’ Politics is the business of being governed and nobody can escape being governed, for better or worse. … If we mean to keep any control over our world and lives, we must be interested in politics.” – Martha Gellhorn.

Send in your favorites by throughout the day and we’ll try to get them posted ASAP! Click to comment here.

CK

 

April 18 Topic: Negative campaign advertising.

What is  sometimes referred to as “American-style” negative campaigning seems to have become the norm in Canada as well. Attack ads have been blamed, in part, for the downfall of the federal Liberal party. Rick Mercer has ranted about the use of attack ads by Stephen Harper’s Conservative government. The provincial Tories and Wildrose have been at one another’s  throats, with the Liberals quick to draw attention to the faults of both “conservative” parties and their leaders. Brian Mason of the NDP sent a letter to the other party leaders early in the campaign, urging an end to the “negative personal tone” that had developed, but one has to wonder if he would need to go on the offensive if his party were a front-runner.

Here in Lethbridge, various candidates have reported that their campaign signs have been removed or vandalised. Is it possible anymore for someone to be elected simply on his/her own merit, or do all candidates have to prove that they are “not as bad as the really bad guy”?

What do you think? Please submit your comments below!

 

April 17 topic: Public Opinion Polls.

Do you cringe when you pick up the phone and hear a recorded message asking you to rank your views on a scale of 1-5? Or do you enjoy strongly agreeing or strongly disagreeing with various statements? Do you ever base your decisions on what is the most (or least) popular option as reported in a poll? Do you believe what you hear in the mainstream media about how Albertans are likely to vote, or who the front-runners are? Do political opinion polls unfairly influence undecided voters? Are you concerned with polling accuracy? 

Well, why not another poll, while we’re on the topic. On a scale of 1 to 5, (with 1 being none and 5 being a whole lot),  how much consideration do you give political polls before you mark a ballot? Then leave a comment to tell us why you think so, and how you feel about polling in this election.

You could also participate in our unofficial survey about the party you are likely to vote for! (surveys not based on recognized statistical methods)