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EDITORIAL: Those who show up

The signs have now come down and Saturday’s election is shrinking (some would say mercifully) in the rear view mirror. For all the campaign slogans and candidate forums, in the end what mattered most is who showed up to the ballot box.
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The signs have now come down and Saturday’s election is shrinking (some would say mercifully) in the rear view mirror. For all the campaign slogans and candidate forums, in the end what mattered most is who showed up to the ballot box.

That issue was certainly tied to allegations of mail-in ballot fraud and possible vote buying in other Lower Mainland communities. On the North Shore, apathy remained a bigger scandal.

Yes, the novelty of a mayor’s race in West Vancouver boosted voter turnout about 10 per cent in this election. District of North Vancouver flashpoints like demovictions upped turnout there by a similar percentage. But smaller communities still put the North Shore to shame. And yes, Bowen Island, we’re talking about your 67 per cent participation rate – where the new mayor has been elected by a margin of two votes.

In the every-vote-counts department, never mind that West Vancouver elected a mayor by a mere 21-vote margin. In Peachland the result was a tie, raising the possibility the mayor will be decided by essentially drawing straws. A dual at dawn almost seems less painful.

While much attention was focused on the mayors’ races, issues in the end come down to a vote in council chambers and council remains the seat of decision-making power.

Regardless of who voted for them, those elected are now charged with rep-resenting the whole community just as the community is charged with continuing to pay attention and to participating.

Showing up to the ballot box is a good first step. Continuing to show up after that is crucial.

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