What you need before your next municipal election

Municipal elections are looming this year over nearly half the provinces and territories in Canada. The renewal of terms and mandates can be as exciting as it is uncertain; after all, that’s an awful lot of change to the closest order of government to the people. Our clients and friends in BC, PEI, Manitoba, and New Brunswick are undoubtedly working hard right now to figure out how to set their communities up for smooth and successful elections to hit the ground running on the priorities of the new council. So, what can Canadian municipalities do right now to prepare?

First, something we’ve been recommending to clients for many years is to host a pre-election Candidate Orientation. Most communities we work with already have a regular Council Orientation, for after the election is done and the seats are filled, but more often than we’d like, we encounter newly elected members of Council who truly did not know what the job entailed before running. Sometimes it goes okay, and new Councillors learn the role and succeed. Sometimes they resign, forcing a costly by-election, and sometimes they stay on but remain disengaged or worse, misunderstanding their role and causing issues for the community. Rather than run the risk, though, hosting a Candidate Orientation well in advance of the close of nominations can help potential candidates to make a fully informed decision, which works out better for both them and the municipality they would have liked to represent.

Next, we like to talk about the sticky issue of “caretaker mode”. During an election campaign for the provincial and federal orders of government, we have a clear, constitutional convention that the government ought not make any major moves, announcements or decisions, and simply let the regular flow of business take its course. It makes sense, after all; a government making announcements during an election gives them an unfair political advantage, and more practically, decisions made in the dying days of one government may very well get overturned by another. Local governments in Canada technically have no such convention, but the public expects that we do. As such, “caretaker” ideas are often applied inconsistently between municipalities and even between different Councillors, leading to an uneven playing field and unclear expectations for the public. This creates both a procedural issue and a communications issue. Procedurally, municipalities might consider adopting a caretaker policy, enshrining the good practice from the constitution to save headaches and potential political issues in the new Council. From a communications standpoint, having a policy on hand that explains what actions will or will not be taken by Council during the election period can help enormously with public understanding and head off any election tensions before they arise.

Third, many candidates are running for the first time, which is a very good thing. In fact, trying to draw more up-and-coming leaders into the municipally sector is a major goal for nearly every municipality we speak with. Beyond just supporting new candidates’ understanding of the system, municipalities with enough capacity could offer a campaign school, to help new candidates with the basics of a running campaign. Naturally, no political advice should ever be given under such circumstances, but a rundown of the filing requirements, the fiscal reporting requirements, the election procedure and rules, key dates, and some basic communications advice could help a lot of otherwise-qualified leaders take the leap to elected office. This could be particularly advantageous for communities that are truly seeking diversity in their councils; many of the candidates that run regularly and win already have political backing and experience, making the campaign process simpler and smoother. The flip side is that new candidates often have an even harder time breaking in, leading to less diversity and renewal over time.

And finally, strong public communications about candidates and the election process are essential to a well-run campaign season. Members of the public often complain that they don’t know enough about individual municipal candidates to vote, which leads to reduced turnout compared to other orders of government with parties. Political parties are not something I would ever recommend for the municipal sector, but at the same time, we understand that municipal elections can contain a lot of information for voters to keep in mind. Featuring information on individual candidates is typically a no-go for most communities, but communications highlighting the work of the municipality in the last four years and the work that’s currently ongoing can help residents get a better view of the state of the community and help them to inform their vote. Combined with the political pitches from the candidates, good public communications can boost turnout and help voters make informed decisions.

Do you think your community could implement some of these ideas? How about other ideas for preparing your community for a municipal election? Let us know your thoughts by emailing tyler@strategicsteps.ca.