I consider myself pretty politically motivated.
I’ve always been engaged in the political process, be it at a national, provincial, municipal — even international level. Election nights are like Christmas and my birthday all rolled up into one evening of intrigue.
Countless election nights I have been either glued to my television set and computer screen or out in the field going from one political party to the next covering election nights for this newspaper and other newspapers that I have worked at before.
Politics and the search for information is what made me interested in journalism.
The need to be tapped in to the world around us and what shapes our daily lives is so vitally important.
I was lucky that at a young age my parents taught me how important it was to vote, to make a difference, to be educated about the issues and the people who were in charge of trying to bring those issues to the forefront. Voting does make a difference, it does matter and it is so important.
So with all that in mind I was a bit disappointed in the turnout at last Saturday’s Voice on the Coast political pub night. The turnout saw 80-plus in attendance, including 28 of the now 42 candidates who are standing for office in the Town of Gibsons, District of Sechelt, Sunshine Coast Regional District and School District No. 46. I would have liked to see more people on hand — especially young voters.
I’m 39 and I figure I was one of the youngest in the room. Was it because this event was held on a Saturday night and there were other things to do? Possibly, but Voice on the Coast advertised the event, in this newspaper, on-line, through social media channels and other sources. One person did stand up on Saturday saying Voice on the Coast didn’t do enough to get to her and her friends. OK, I’ll buy that I guess, but short of hitting people over the head, what is it going to take to get younger voters involved?
It should be no secret that we have a municipal election on Nov. 15. Our front-page story in last week’s edition laid out the field pretty well. As I pen this column, we are working on a 16-page election pullout feature, which will be published in the Oct. 31 edition. Inside you will find information on every candidate running this year, along with details on where to vote, when to vote, what you need to bring to the polls to vote and what to do if you are not currently on the voters’ list.
It is our hope that everyone — young and old — will save a copy of this feature and reference it throughout the election campaign.
And if you are a young voter or a first-time voter, I can’t stress enough how important it is to be engaged. Take some time and attend an all-candidates meeting. There are many scheduled up and down the Coast the next few weeks. Read this newspaper, pay attention to social media, get out on your own and meet the candidates. Many of them are your friends, your neighbours, co-workers and business owners. The only way we can ensure moving forward as a community is to actively engage in the process. Every vote counts and every vote matters. Please remember that.
