Surrey slates called the death of independent candidates

Surrey has seven slates running in the fast-approaching municipal election and one of the longest ballots in the province, but Kwantlen Polytechnic University political science professor Ross Michael Pink says many voters may not be taking the time to learn about the people who will be running their city. 

No independent candidate is running for mayor, which Pink said is no surprise since name recognition is one the biggest draws for voters. 

“What we find in politics is name recognition is a big factor in getting a vote, and that may be good or maybe bad, but it’s kind of a factor of political life.” 

Established politicians like current Mayor Brenda Locke or former mayor Doug McCallum may simply get votes because people remember them, said Pink. 

This, alongside a lack of a party-backing, is often why independent candidates do poorly in elections — they are also usually less well-funded. Pink said that studies have shown that few people have actually read the federal Liberal or Conservative party platforms, despite them being the only two parties that have ever governed Canada. 

Most people base their vote on what they hear from news outlets, social media and friends and family.

“That’s one of the challenges of a democratic society is to increase knowledge on issues, and because we do have what’s called a democratic deficit in Canada,” he said. 

Smaller parties are also at a disadvantage because Canada uses a first-past-the-post voting system. This is a winner-takes-all system, where the candidate with the most votes wins. 

For example, in the 2015 federal elections, the Liberal Party won only 40 per cent of the popular vote, but this translated into 55 per cent of the seats and a majority government. In comparison, the NDP won 20 per cent of the popular vote but received only 12 per cent of seats. 

The alternate option to this, Pink explained, is proportional representation, where the percentage of votes a party gets if then translated directly into seats. The 2015 federal election with proportional representation would have had Liberals receiving 40 per cent of the seats and the NDP receiving 20 per cent. 

While some argue that more parties in government can create instability, Pink said it’s also important as it means there are more perspectives in city hall. 

“[First past the post] tends to shut out the views and opinions of smaller parties and minority groups, and that’s why proportional representation in the political world is seen to be more democratic and more inclusive,” said Pink. 

Voter turnout has also been a persistent problem in local elections — with the youth vote declining consistently over the past seven decades. 

Pink argued that issues and policies have a much greater effect on the younger generations than they do on older ones. 

“I always tell my students … get involved because the issues are getting more and more important, and you need to have a voice. There are lots of elections that are decided by 10, 20,100 votes. Your vote really does count.” 

Candidates could break through to an uninterested voter, said Pink, if they began engaging with more “direct democracy” instead of relying on a PR person to get their message out. 

“I’m tired of politicians hiding behind press releases, hiding behind statements, and hiding behind a microphone.” 

Pink pointed to town halls as a great way for politicians to engage with voters, as people can see the candidates give “unfiltered” answers. 

“I would really encourage … the public in general to get involved because it is your country, your community, and really what happens can be changed. If you want to be changed, it can happen with one person.”