Members of City of North Vancouver council reopened the question of whether to list candidates randomly or alphabetically on election ballots Monday, and used the opportunity to take some nasty shots at each other.
Coun. Craig Keating submitted a motion at the April 16 council meeting to abolish the citys alphabetic system, arguing there is research that shows ballot position is a demonstrable and significant phenomenon in low-information, low-voter-turnout elections.
Keating made an unsuccessful attempt to change the system in July of 2011, and before the motion was debated on Monday, Mayor Darrell Mussatto reminded council that some of them with early-lettered names had recused themselves from the discussion last year.
Youre allowed to change your opinion, Mussatto said. If theres a want on council to get a legal opinion and see if you are in a conflict of interest, Id be happy to see staff do an evaluation.
Coun. Rod Clark walked out of council chambers last summer citing a conflict of interest, prompting a somewhat reluctant Coun. Pam Bookham to join him in the hallway.
But now, said Clark, there are three Bs on council, so Im now fourth or midrange on the ballot. So Im reconsidering my position and Ill be happy to be here for the debate, he said.
And youve flip-flopped before, heckled Coun. Guy Heywood.
Keating said the basic issue here is fairness and effectiveness in the kind of campaigns we have.
I urge people to look at the result of the last two elections and see the amazing instance in which people whose names were near the top of the ballot happened to triumph, said Keating. Its not the only factor. Certain councillors have a sunny disposition, naming no names. Some peoples name just rings a bell. Im prepared to accept that.
Joking aside, Keating insisted the advantage suggested by academic articles would be enough to change the results of an election.
Clark said he had both won and lost several elections using the same name, and dismissed ballot order as a non-issue. He also asked if the citys 2010 civic engagement task force, Heywoods brainchild, had studied the issue.
Coun. Don Bell, who served on the force before his election to council, confirmed they had discussed it but not made any recommendations.
Well, well, well, replied Clark, who has expressed a low opinion of Heywoods old project. Something I can use from the civic engagement task force!
Bell said much of the research he had seen was based on American campaigns, where party politics may complicate any direct connection between name and poll result. Whats more, he offered, its possible an alphabetical ballot may help voters find a name theyre looking for.
Coun. Pam Bookham said ballot order reform should be considered only after larger campaign issues. Weve got a slate that fails to identify itself as a slate, she said, making a barely veiled reference to Mussatto and his allies, raising and spending $93,000 on their campaigns in our small community. . . . Its that money that is the real challenge and the source of that money that is the real challenge, and I dont see anyone stepping and volunteering to curb that fundraising.
Quite frankly, if the mover of this motion is sincere, actions speak louder than words and there are many things we could be doing to ensure fairness next time out, she said.
Mussatto said that after beating three mayoralty candidates with earlier-lettered names in 2011, he had the most to lose by supporting this, but still called for a random ballot, perhaps even eventually a move to each individual ballot being randomized.
After more sparring over the length of the delay, the question was deferred to September so councillors could share the research they have seen.
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