Some thoughts on this municipal election day

As Frederictonians and people across much of the province head to the polls today to elect new municipal councils, in Arizona, democracy is going a different direction. There, a team closely aligned with insane QAnon conspiracy theories are “reviewing” the ballots from last November’s presidential election, with the purpose of coming up with something they can point to as “proof” that Trump was the real winner. Despite multiple audits, a hand recount of ballots, and numerous lawsuits that found no evidence of any problems with the election, the Republican controlled State Legislature has commissioned this farce.  

Photo Credit: LA Times

Meantime, in Republican controlled states all over the U.S., legislatures are falling over themselves trying to outdo each other in passing the most draconian election suppression laws they can think of. These are laws designed to make it as hard as possible for minorities and blacks to cast ballots.  

All of this, in both cases, the voter suppression laws and the whacky Arizona review are the result of people eager to embrace Trump’s big lie that Biden stole the election.  

For us in Canada, and particularly in New Brunswick this being voting day here, what’s going on in the United States should stand as a lesson of just how fragile democracy is.  

Consider that in the United States, they have been holding elections for 250 years, and in every one of those, the winners formed government in a peaceful transition of power and the losers stood to fight another day. Everyone figured that’s the way it would always be. While our democracy isn’t as old as the American one, we have as well followed that democratic tradition.  

But now, one of the two major parties in the U.S. has embraced Trump’s delusional insistence that he really won. The Republican Party, the party of Lincoln, has chosen Trump over principle. In doing that, the party has put democracy in that country in a very precarious position. Publicly supporting the big lie resulted in thousands of insurrectionists storming the Capital to try to stop the results of the election being formally recognized. It resulted in people dying.  

Nobody, I don’t imagine can say they saw any of this coming. 

Photo Credit: picfair.com

For us, as we go to the polls, it’s a reminder that while we have the luxury of taking democracy for granted, we shouldn’t.  

When I vote today, it will be with the United States in mind, and I will cherish my vote all the more because of that. I know, as we all do that whoever gets the most votes will win, and whoever doesn’t will concede graciously.  

I expect it is similar in all municipalities, but Fredericton is the one I am most familiar with so that’s the one where I can take comfort in the fact it was a clean campaign. All four of the candidates for mayor handled themselves admirably, as was fully expected. And the same for the council candidates. Further, the whole slate is strong, so to my mind we can’t lose regardless of which candidates win.  

Mike O’Brien Photo Credit: Twitter

I am also encouraged that so many candidates here have identified homelessness as a major priority. As economist and public policy consultant Richard Saillant has long argued, immigration is the key to growing our economy and immigration cannot be successful without affordable housing. Obviously it’s not just a city issue, but the municipal council has a major interest in helping figure it out. 

My prediction? It’s going to be close between Mike O’Brien and Kate Rogers. While it was the councilors, not the mayor who voted for the controversial changes to Officer’s Square, it is Mike, as mayor, who has to wear it. As someone who voted for it, so does Kate, but her very public mea culpa and promise of a do-over has probably helped her.  

Kate Rogers Photo Credit: Twitter

Gauging from what I hear from council candidates about how often it has come up throughout the campaign, Officer’s Square may very well be the ballot question. It has got to be frustrating that having accomplished so much over the past five years on so many files, that for both Mike and Kate, the one issue they blew is the one that resonates.  

In the end it could boil down to the math. Specifically, how many votes the other female candidate, Corinne Hersey takes away from Kate among those who want a woman and how well she will do with votes from those who won’t support either Mike or Kate because of Officer’s Square. Hersey has a solid background and platform, but may be hurt because she has a lower profile. Perhaps a stint as a councilor would have helped. Actually, when it comes to platform there is little to distinguish among the three. I don’t mean to ignore the forth contender, but Drew Brown doesn’t even have a website so I’m not sure what he stands for, although he seems to be a nice enough chap. But he’s not a contender.  

Corinne Hersey Photo Credit: Twitter

Isn’t it great though, to have the privilege of weighing our options and having our voice heard at the ballot box. And knowing that it will be easy to vote, it will be fair, and whatever the results they will be accepted by all. Americans should be so lucky. 

Because Covid is interfering with the elections in some parts of northern New Brunswick, the results all over the province will not be released until later in the month. The good part of that is that my prediction will most likely be forgotten by then.  The important point though, is that delayed word of who won and who lost is a small price to pay for democracy.

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Cover photo credit: Global News