The city is outgrowing its current at-large system for electing city councillors.
When Prince George voters go to the polls on Oct. 15, they’ll have to select 14 names out of 39 on the ballot.
Even for the most dedicated follower of local politics, it’s a tall order to learn about all 39 candidates in order to make an informed choice. For the average voter, it will come down to voting based on name recognition and a little bit of eeny, meeny, miny, moe.British Columbia is an outlier in Canada, when it comes to local government structure. Only one municipality in the province uses the ward system, although regional districts and school districts do.
Smaller communities generally stick to the at-large system, because dividing a small community into tiny wards with a few hundred or a few thousand people doesn’t make much sense. But for medium-size cities like Prince George, it comes down to a judgment call by voters when to switch from an at-large system to a ward system.
In a 2021 referendum, voters in Lethbridge, Alta. voted 55.69 per cent in support of adopting a ward system, starting in 2025. But in 2012, Airdrie, Alta. rejected a proposed ward system and continues to elect its council at-large.Firstly, it streamlines voting. While it would be more complex for city staff to administer, with fewer names on the ballot in each ward it would easier for voters to get to know their candidates and make an informed choice.
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