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The minutes of Fernie Council’s December 4, 2015 meeting communicated that Fernie had a 27% estimated voter turnout in the 2014 Municipal Election. That’s apathetic–voting matters. When voters don’t turn out to choose their local government, they receive a government that doesn’t represent them. And then people complain about the results.
This election was different! 62.25% of Fernie’s eligible voters came out to vote–placing Fernie near the top with communities from around BC, especially among communities with over 2000 voters.
Congratulations to the new mayor and council elect! Here they are the unofficial results:
Mayor of Fernie
Ange Qualizza 1122 (elected)
Sharon Switzer 893
Mary Giuliano 477
Council
Kyle Hamilton 1239 (elected)
Kevin McIsaac 1179 (elected)
Morgan Pulsifer 1166 (elected)
Yvonne Prest 1157 (elected)
Troy Nixon 1061 (elected)
Phil Iddon 991 (elected)
Joe Warshawsky 953
Tracey Kelly 943
Dan McSkimming 893
Greg Barnes 886
Steve Kallies 822
Scott Newland 336
Vote because every election matters. Vote because the choices you will make matter. Who you choose this Saturday to lead your local government — whether mayor or council member — will have a serious impact on the life of your community. When we vote for our local officials, we make choices that will have very direct and concrete effects on our daily lives.
Voters in Fernie came out in stronger numbers for this election.
Election Officer Kevin Allen reported that 588 Fernie residents cast their vote in the first Advance Voting, compared to the 93 people who voted in the first advance poll in the 2014 Municipal Election.
And 740 Fernie residents cast their vote in the second Advance Voting, compared to the 83 that voted in the second advance poll in the 2014 Municipal Election.
In total, 1328 people have voted in the advance polls, that’s out of 3,925 eligible voters. A 33.8 percent voter turnout before the actual election, seven percent more that the entire turnout in the 2014 Municipal Election, was convincing that we would have a strong outcome.
People who do not exercise their right to vote do so for many reasons. Two prominent reasons are that their vote will make no difference to the issues that actually matter to them, or to perceive the political system to be stacked against them.
With this election the slate of candidates was very promising. Candidates appear to embody Fernie’s diverse voter’s values more convincingly than any previous election, and the issues that voters care about are being prominently addressed.
With this superior voter turnout we can be comfortable that the results represent our community. We couldn’t ask for anything better!
