UNA Voting trends over the decade

I first ran for UNA Director with Mike Feely in 2005. The UNA board at that time was comprised of  appointed Directors.  They had just changed the rules so that three resident directors (half of the board) were to be elected.  The voting took place in person at the AGM held in Cecil Green House. About a hundred people voted in that first election.  I came in fourth losing out to my running mate Mike Feeley and Hampton Place residents Brian Collins and Jim Taylor.  

Over the years since then the UNA has grown alongside of the real estate developments on campus. Voter participation has also increased averaging around 350 voters per election until this decade were voter participation started to climb. 

I next ran for the UNA board in 2012. By that time the UNA membership was larger, the Old Barn Community Centre was established as a community focal point, and voter turnout consistently topper 600 to 1000 voters.  

Campaign practices have also changed since that first election. From fairly informal word of mouth campaigns things started to ramp up into formal slates. 

I was part of a slate in both the 2012 and 2014 elections. In 2012 it was a formal slate and we coordinated out campaign activities much like a formal civic party might.  In 2014 there were two less formal slates: Richard Alexander (my former slatemate in 2012) teamed up with Sabrina Zhang and I teamed with Alan Craigie. It was a crowded field of seven candidates for three spaces. Alan and I worked hard but were were decisively out organized with the Zhang/Alexander slate taking about 1000 votes each to the 300+ votes or so Alan and I each got. I just squeaked in with 347 votes trialing way behind Alexander and Zhang.

The 2014 election revealed a decisive shift in electoral power away from the Hampton Place establishment. Candidates able to cross the language barrier were better placed to connect with and mobilize a wide community of voters that hadn't really been engaged in previous UNA elections.  This election also resulted in a more careful management of the election system to ensure all proper protocols were carried out.

The dip in voter turn out in 2015 and 2016 related to more stringent voting practices where polling stations were tried in place of mail in ballots. The high cost and reduced turn out made in person voting a short experiment and the UNA returned to mail in balloting in subsequent elections. 

This current election, with 13 candidates for seven spots on the board for three year terms essentially marks the end of a period of near yearly voting. I am disappointed that we've moved to triennial voting and longer terms of office. I think it removes directors from accountability when they don't have the possibility of electoral defeat looming over their heads.   

I am expecting this election to be a record breaker in terms of number of ballots cast [update Dec. 1/21: I was wrong]. It is hard to tell though as only those people receiving and recording the ballots will know for certain how many envelopes are being returned.  In the past elections with more candidates running do bring out more voters. In addition when campaign tactics include recruiting people to join the UNA, voters turn out also increases.  From what I see both situations are in play. 

All this is, of course, speculation until Tuesday's results come in.  In the meantime make sure you have voted if you haven't already!