5915 replies to this topic

[Nparker]

^Yep, the UVic station was open to Victoria, Saanich and OB voters.

That's why it will be important to get the stats from this particular polling place.

[rmpeers]

I was sure I'd seen the Helps campaign on Twitter encouraging people to vote at Our Place etc but when I just tried to search, it looks like the Helps campaign Twitter account has vanished.

[Bernard]

Not in this Fairfield household. None of us voted for any of them.

 

Can you have a polling station in a location where one of the candidates works?  Our Place?

Yes, you can have polling stations where someone works, the person working there is only prohibited from campaigning within a certain distance of the poll.    Candidates are all allowed to be at polling stations from before they open until the vote count is done.

[57WestHills]

The voting place at UVic also allowed residents from the CoV to vote, I thought? Was that not the case?

Oh cool, didn't realize that. Wouldn't think turn out would be that significant there on a weekend, though?

[rmpeers]

Yes, you can have polling stations where someone works, the person working there is only prohibited from campaigning within a certain distance of the poll. Candidates are all allowed to be at polling stations from before they open until the vote count is done.

But I think there's a distinction to be made since Our Place is somewhere where a regular group of people congregate and spend time, and in that capacity, they'd likely become familiar with and possibly find of the staff there. And it's then reasonable to assume that a large percentage of the people who voted at that polling station were regular OP clients and therefore more inclined to want to support their staffer.

Imagine if say Stephen Hammond had a side job as a barista at a popular local coffee shop with a large clientele of regulars, and it was chosen as the venue for an advanced polling station. Would that not be perceived as a conflict?

[Mike K.]

Oh cool, didn't realize that. Wouldn't think turn out would be that significant there on a weekend, though?

 

Both it and Camosun were early voting places.

[Love the rock]

But I think there's a distinction to be made since Our Place is somewhere where a regular group of people congregate and spend time, and in that capacity, they'd likely become familiar with and possibly find of the staff there. And it's then reasonable to assume that a large percentage of the people who voted at that polling station were regular OP clients and therefore more inclined to want to support their staffer.
Imagine if say Stephen Hammond had a side job as a barista at a popular local coffee shop with a large clientele of regulars, and it was chosen as the venue for an advanced polling station. Would that not be perceived as a conflict?

These homeless that voted at O.P. How do we know they are homeless I’m not trying to be argumentative I’m curious.Whats stopping someone from voting in two areas if you say you have no fixed address. I think having an advanced polling station at a safe injection site and homeless shelter is wrong in so many ways .Thought it was a smart strategic move on Lisa’s part . Kind of like something the Donald would do.

[Rob Randall]

But I think there's a distinction to be made since Our Place is somewhere where a regular group of people congregate and spend time, and in that capacity, they'd likely become familiar with and possibly find of the staff there. And it's then reasonable to assume that a large percentage of the people who voted at that polling station were regular OP clients and therefore more inclined to want to support their staffer.

Imagine if say Stephen Hammond had a side job as a barista at a popular local coffee shop with a large clientele of regulars, and it was chosen as the venue for an advanced polling station. Would that not be perceived as a conflict?

 

You realize implementing that rule would eliminate a vast swath of potential candidates, right? 

[rmpeers]

You realize implementing that rule would eliminate a vast swath of potential candidates, right?

I'm not really even proposing a rule, just pondering the difference between... say, a lot if people go to vote at Sir James Douglas School, sure some of them will be parents of kids at the school and such; but the majority are just people who have no connection but just went there because it was a convenient polling station. Whereas I assume it's more likely that a high proportion of the voters at Our Place were clients. (And, re post above, not all OP clients are homeless, fwiw).

Look, I know that one polling station was probably not going to change the results; although it conceivably could have (as evidenced by Helps' 89-vote margin in 2014). But the dynamic in terms of the location etc makes this worthy of some discussion, I think.

[shoeflack]

I voted in the advanced poll at City Hall. I'm a client of the City, as are most people who voted there. A whole bunch of candidates (read: incumbents) work at City Hall.

 

Should it not be permitted as a polling station? Ya I know, I'm being facetious.

[Rob Randall]

Look at Dean Fortin, who was Mr. Burnside Community Centre.

[Baro]

My local polling station was the cook st. activity centre.  Clearly trying to go after the senior vote.

[Nparker]

To be fair to rmpeers' point, most of those who voted at Our Place likely did not represent much of a cross section of the general CoV population.

[Bernard]

But I think there's a distinction to be made since Our Place is somewhere where a regular group of people congregate and spend time, and in that capacity, they'd likely become familiar with and possibly find of the staff there. And it's then reasonable to assume that a large percentage of the people who voted at that polling station were regular OP clients and therefore more inclined to want to support their staffer.

Imagine if say Stephen Hammond had a side job as a barista at a popular local coffee shop with a large clientele of regulars, and it was chosen as the venue for an advanced polling station. Would that not be perceived as a conflict?

There is no conflict of any sort in either case.   You can not campaign within a specified distance from the polling station but as a candidate, you are very much allowed to be at the polling station as much as you like.   

 

There are many examples of polling stations being at locations that are closely linked to a specific candidate.   

 

Yes, Our Place people are likely to vote for a staffer because they know them but they have a right to vote and have a right to make their own decision.    How is the location of the poll at all an issue?   The only way it can be seen as an issue is if someone wanted them not to be voting in the election and therefore was opposed to a polling station being accessible for them.

[Belleprincess]

I have a sneaking suspicion that New council won’t be going away (maybe it’s wishful thinking.) I hope they decide to rebrand themselves with a different name. I don’t think Hammond will run again but I hope Reeve and Andrew will give it another go.

[nerka]

I have a sneaking suspicion that New council won’t be going away (maybe it’s wishful thinking.) I hope they decide to rebrand themselves with a different name. I don’t think Hammond will run again but I hope Reeve and Andrew will give it another go.

In retrospect "New Council" was a bad name. They overestimated the electorate's urge to simply "kick  the bums out". Next time it might be better to choose a generic positive sounding name

[Rob Randall]

^If you have to put a big button on the front page of your website saying "Clearing Up The Confusion" where you debunk people's misconceptions about you--well, that's not good.

[Rob Randall]

NewCouncil's website is gone but I'll paste their "vision" below. It's quite generic, don't you think?

 

Restore Trust

• Truly consult YOU when your neighbourhood is impacted
• Community comes FIRST. No more favoured status for lobbyists and activists
• No more wasting YOUR tax dollars on ego projects
• TEAR DOWN barriers to information and increase transparency

 

Fiscal Responsibility

• No more using YOUR home as Victoria’s ATM. No more tax increases greater than inflation
• Full and accurate project costs must be determined BEFORE a shovel goes in the ground
• Say goodbye to FRIVOLOUS pet-project spending
• Seek cost SAVINGS with other municipalities

A Safe & Clean Environment

• Direct police to focus on increasing SAFETY downtown
• Reduce litter, cut down on hazards and CLEAN up our sidewalks and parks

Improve Transportation Options

• Make bike lanes SAFER for everybody
• No expansion of bike lanes until actual CONSULTATION
• REDUCE barriers for those with mobility needs
• HELP downtown business by halting the war on parking

Solutions For Housing

• Work with the province to get more affordable housing
• Ensure neighbours and neighbourhoods have an ACTUAL say in housing
• Benefits of a building boom must be SHARED with Victorians
• Find SOLUTIONS for much-needed supportive housing

[Rob Randall]

I like that last one: "Our Solution to Housing" "Our solution to housing is to, uh, find a solution"

[N E Body]

I like the combination of capitalized words. Especially those found under Fiscal Responsibility:

 

YOUR ATM BEFORE FRIVOLOUS SAVINGS