Municipal election should not be about 'What's in it for me?'

A healthy democracy requires us to vote, Tristan Coolman writes

Yorkregion.com
Oct. 7, 2022
Tristan Coolman
OPINION

Oct. 24, 2022 is the deadline for all of us to participate in municipal elections across York Region. Yes, another election! These things tend to happen in democratic societies with the values and principals we all say we cherish -- but do we really cherish them in action and practice? In June of this year, just over 40 per cent of eligible voters engaged in Ontario’s general election -- the lowest in our province's history.

Politics is exciting for some and stressful for others. Some argue whether the votes they cast translate into any change in their personal lives. “What’s in it for me?” is a narrative I am all too familiar with hearing.

Even if very little is in it for you, what about your family, your neighbours, your friends, your favourite local businesses, your farmers, your Oak Ridges Moraine, your local schools, your roads, your public transit, your health-care system? There is much more to consider than your life within the lens of your own fish bowl.

A well functioning and healthy democracy requires us to consider all of these things and more. It requires us to show up and do the easiest thing -- vote.

Municipal elections are notorious for low voter turnout and engagement. This round of elections for some cities and towns are especially important for those who have been following the last few years. York Region’s local politics is usually drama free and that's a very good thing. It's a reflection of the mature and responsible leadership which stewards most of our municipalities. Those of you who disagree likely live in just a few of the municipalities that stand out amongst the mature as our bad apples -- you know who you are, Richmond Hill and Aurora. The question here is -- what are you as residents going to do about it?

Voter apathy always benefits the status quo. If you don’t like what you see and hear, you don’t like the ethics of some councillors and mayors, then this is your opportunity to vote them out. Talk to your neighbours and family about the issues, about your elected leaders and ask yourself if these people reflect what you cherish in your life? Are these individuals truly leading with an ethical, equitable lens? Are they true leaders?

If you have not engaged before, I urge you to engage, I urge that you show up and vote.

I lead an LGBTQ2 support and resource organization called Pflag York Region. We have operated and supported York Region residents for more than 25 years. That wouldn’t have happened and it would not continue to this day without people who show up to our meetings and who care enough for the strangers they have yet to meet and help them through their challenges. Our communities were disheartened with this June’s 40 per cent voter turnout. 60 per cent of you let us down, not with who you supported, but by making the choice to sit on the sidelines.

It's the easy way out, it's the lazy way out.

We are coming through this pandemic, and it is time to re-engage with our collective responsibility to one another. Voting is the easiest way to re-engage.