Slide Deck 4: Municipal Elections

What do you see?

Your Values and Worldview Your worldview is your outlook on life and the world, and how you interpret events on a daily basis Your worldview relates to your values, which are your principles or standards of behaviour and priorities in life

Which people and experiences do you think have had the largest impact on your own worldview?

What is a political ideology? A political ideology is a set of shared ideas or beliefs about the role of government and how society should work A political ideology is your political worldview

Which do you think is better and why? Lower taxes, smaller government and less government services Higher taxes, larger government and more government services

Which statement do you believe more strongly and why? Society is not bound by tradition Traditions provide security and stability and must be respected

How many political ideologies can you name?

Common Ideologies Liberalism – Favours individual liberty but acknowledges the need for some form of government intervention in the economy Conservatism – Advocates for the preservation of society (tradition) and opposes radical changes Socialism – Favours a political and economic system in which the means of production, distribution and exchange are owned by the community collectively Libertarianism – Advocates for minimal state intervention in the lives of citizens

Other Ideologies Communism – Promotes the establishment of an egalitarian and classless society based on common ownership and control of the means of production and property Fascism – Favours strict social and economical measures as a method of empowering the government and limiting the freedom of citizens

Which ideology (or ideologies) do you most closely identify with?

Why do we have elections?

Elections Elections are contests of leadership, ideas, politics and power They provide citizens an opportunity to decide on their next government and the future direction of their country, province or community

Have you ever voted for something before? How was the winner decided? Did you think the process was fair? Why or why not? 14

On October 16, 2017, Albertans will head to the polls to elect candidates to their municipal councils, which make decisions about local government services and the planning, growth and safety of their community

Candidates A candidate is an individual who competes for the job of elected representative It is their job to share their vision, ideas and commitment to the job in order to win the support of voters during a campaign Municipal candidates run as independents and they are not affiliated with any party

The Municipal Election Process The size and arrangement of the council influences how the election process is organized, and it differs across the province Council members can be elected at large (by all eligible voters in the municipality) or by a ward or division system where the municipality is broken down into smaller geographic areas that vote for their own representatives In some cases, the head of council is elected at large, but in other cases, elected council members choose someone from among themselves

Electoral Systems An electoral system is a set of rules that determine how choices are presented to voters, how preferences are recorded and the methods used for determining which candidate wins There are many different electoral systems used around the world

First-Past-the-Post First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) is the voting system currently used across Canada and for municipal elections in Alberta A successful candidate must receive the most votes, or at least one more vote than any of the other candidates (plurality), in order to be elected in their area

Example of First-Past-The-Post CANDIDATE NUMBER OF VOTES Thomas 340 Lisa 401 Mohamed 155 Emma 191 Question: In an election to select one representative, which candidate would be the winner?

Do you think First-Past-the-Post is a fair way to elect our representatives? Can you think of any alternatives?

Municipal Election Ballots Voters can mark their ballot for as many preferences as there are councillors/aldermen to be elected in their jurisdiction or ward/division Some municipalities elect multiple councillors or aldermen per ward/division Depending on the race, there may be two, three or even ten or more candidates running for a seat

Question: How many candidates can you mark your ballot for if six councillors/aldermen are elected at large for an entire municipality?

Answer: Voters can mark their ballot for up to six candidates The six candidates with the most number of votes earn a seat on council

Question: How many candidates can you mark your ballot for in a ward/division system where only one councillor is to be elected?

Answer: The voter can only choose one candidate The candidate with the most number of votes is elected as councillor/alderman for the ward/division

Acclaimed Candidates A candidate can simply be elected by acclamation if they have no opponents No vote is held for that race and the lone candidate becomes the representative

Why do you think there are so many local election races across the province with acclaimed candidates?

How does someone run for election? In order to run as a municipal election candidate in Alberta, you must: Be at least 18 years of age; Be a Canadian citizen; and Have been a resident of the local jurisdiction for the six consecutive months immediately preceding nomination day (the deadline for filing candidate nomination paperwork). Additional qualifications may apply, depending on the municipality you choose to run in as a candidate

What experience or qualifications should a council member have? What characteristics or values should they exemplify or demonstrate?

Getting to know the Candidates There are many ways to learn about your local candidates: Traditional media sources (radio, TV, newspaper and magazines) Social media (websites, Twitter, Facebook) Candidate debates or town hall meetings Campaign offices and events, door-to-door canvassing Discussion with family and friends

Debrief What can you do to shape your own political beliefs and opinions? Why is it healthy to question each other’s viewpoints? Which local issues do you feel need to be addressed by the next municipal council?