Oak Bay residents sure showed their level of engagement at this year’s municipal election.
Over 53 per cent of eligible voters in Oak Bay cast a ballot, according to CivicInfo BC – significantly higher than the provincial average of 36 per cent.
READ MORE: Voter turnout at 36% in B.C.’s municipal election
Oak Bay also had the highest voter turnout for the municipality in the past 10 years. Both at the 2014 and 2011 elections, voter turnout in Oak Bay was at 44.3 per cent; and in 2008, it was down at 36.8 per cent.
Emma Carter was one of the last voters to cast their ballot at the Monterey Recreation Centre today. “There was no lineup, which was wonderful,” she said, adding that deer, densification and infrastructure are among the main issues in Oak Bay #yyj #oakbay #municipalelection pic.twitter.com/3b94rWNbRV
— Oak Bay News (@OakBayNews) October 21, 2018
To Oak Bay residents Kerry and Brian Copeland, deer and infrastructure are one of the main issues in Oak Bay. They said voting is vital because it’s “the only way for local residents to have a say” #yyj #oakbay #municipalelection pic.twitter.com/EibdE4rG8J
— Oak Bay News (@OakBayNews) October 21, 2018
Oak Bay residents Trevor and Lynne Bennett said that what motivated them to come out to vote today was the quality of local public washrooms and parking issues. As of 7 p.m., 1848 people had cast their ballot at the Monterey Recreation Centre #yyj #oakbay #municipalelection pic.twitter.com/e9EgvoF3Nf
— Oak Bay News (@OakBayNews) October 21, 2018
Bigger cities saw turnouts largely in line with the provincial average, which has hovered around the mid- to low 30s for the past few elections. In Victoria, where incumbent Mayor Lisa Helps held onto power, 45 per cent of voters turn out.
The total number of votes cast this election in Oak Bay was 7,232, while the number of eligible voters is 13,499.
Attendance was also high at the three all-candidates meetings held in Oak Bay this year. All seating, standing room, and even the corners behind the candidates’ tables were filled with residents at the Monterey Recreation Centre, where the first meeting was held.
READ MORE: Monterey Centre overflows at Oak Bay’s first 2018 all-candidates meeting
READ MORE: Murdoch defeats Jensen for mayor’s seat
- With files from Katya Slepian and Keri Coles
flavio.nienow@oakbaynews.com
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