Even fewer ballots were cast by eligible Sundre voters in the 2016 byelection as compared to the 2015 byelection.
Last year, voters had a choice between Cheri Funke and Katie Jo Munro following the resignation of former councillor Tony Jordan. Funke won after receiving 115 of 182 total votes, according to town officials. That was from a pool of more than 2,000 voters, representing a turnout of about nine per cent.
This year, voters again had to decide following the resignation of former council Jodi Orr whether to elect Nolan Blatchford or Tamara Smith to represent them at town council's table.
Blatchford, who was to be officially sworn in at council's Monday night meeting after the Round Up's press time, received 104 votes to Smith's 53, meaning only a little more than 150 of Sundre's 2,000-plus potential voters bothered to find five minutes to cast a ballot. That represents a turnout of less than eight per cent.
Both candidates had hoped for a higher voter turnout, but expressed gratitude for those who took the time to find a few moments to learn about their options and make a choice.
Those who run for council are making a serious commitment of themselves to their community. It's not a decision to be made lightly or on a random impulse. If elected, a councillor or mayor will have many new responsibilities that he or she potentially could be held accountable for. There will be many hours spent on council meetings alone, and that doesn't even include additional workshops, committees, conferences, public functions as well as open houses, to name a few.
Democracy begins to become dysfunctional if people don't get involved.
We should consider ourselves fortunate that candidates stepped forward in the last two byelections to offer us a choice and actually create a race for the council position rather than leaving a vacant position or naming someone by acclamation.
So the least we can do in return is get informed and engaged. It's our community and it's our home, and no doubt we all want nothing less than the best for Sundre.
It's time to reverse this disconcerting trend of voter turnouts dropping below a dismal 10 per cent. The next regular municipal election is not far off, but there is still more than a year before the fall election of 2017.
So that gives residents a fair while to consider what their short- to long-term concerns, hopes as well as ideas are for the community and to get engaged in the local democratic process, if not by running for council, then at the very least by casting a vote when the time comes.
— Simon Ducatel, editor
