A, B, C, what’s it going to be VSB?
Wednesday’s decision to move to a randomized ballot for council, mayor and park board in the Oct. 20 election leaves the Vancouver School Board as the lone elected body in town to not offer a yay or nay on the issue.
“The district is investigating the implications of the City of Vancouver Council’s decision to implement a randomized ballot,” a district spokesperson told the Courier via email Wednesday afternoon.
Current school board bylaws dictate names be listed alphabetically on a ballot, though that bylaw gets a rethink at a June 11 committee meeting.
Pending approval at the committee level, that discussion moves to the June 25 meeting to debate the formal policy shift. The deadline to make that change is Aug. 6.
The move that initiated Wednesday’s change was first brought up by Coun. Andrea Reimer in April and seeks to make elections fairer.
Reimer suggests candidates with names near the top of the ballot are more likely to get elected. Six of the 10 sitting councillors have last names within the first four letters of the alphabet.
Three councillors opposed the move: Green Party Coun. Adriane Carr and NPA councillors Melissa De Genova and Elizabeth Ball.
Seven of the nine board trustees have last names that start within the first seven letters of the alphabet. Only Green Party trustee Judy Zaichkowsky and Vision’s Allan Wong fall outside of the first third of the alphabet.
“Personally, I have no objections to a randomized ballot,” Vision trustee Joy Alexander told the Courier in an email. “And I guess with the last name Alexander I would have benefited from names in alphabetical order so I stand to lose the most.”
A political rookie prior to last year, Zaichkowsky finished second among 19 candidates in the October 2017 byelection. She was topped only by incumbent and current board chair Janet Fraser.
“I think I did that well because I was associated with the Green Party and the Green Party was fairly favourable,” Zaichkowsky told the Courier. “If it wasn’t the first choice, it was a strong second choice.”
Be that as it may, Zaichkowsky is not keen on changing things up.
“I think it would be chaotic. I think it’s one thing to put [names] by party because some people do look for that,” she said. “I’m sure it would drive people crazy.”
Voting day is Oct. 20.
— with files from Naoibh O’Connor
@JohnKurucz
