Should election signs be allowed on regional roads again?

Were we too tough on election signs?

It’s a question being posed by North Dumfries mayor and regional councillor, Sue Foxton, who wants the local election sign bylaw to be revisited.

Foxton brought it up at a recent regional committee meeting — pointing to dwindling voter turnout, specifically in the most recent municipal election.

“No one likes election signs, but they do, I think, serve a purpose,” said Foxton during the meeting in early May.

The updated Region of Waterloo bylaw took effect in 2022 and banned election signs from regional roads and public property.

That year, there was a voter turnout of 25.34 per cent in the municipal election; down from 31 per cent in the 2018 municipal election.

“The election is a disaster in voter turnout,” Foxton told The Mike Farwell Show on CityNews 570 on Monday. “I think sometimes, you know, in your busy life — you work all day, you rush to grab a few things on your way home from work, you’re driving home, you want to get in the house and take care of the family and the meals. It’s very easy to forget about going out to vote.”

Foxton admitted that she does not believe a lack of election signs is the sole reason people didn’t cast a ballot, but she thinks the signs are a good reminder.

“Most people use regional roads because we’re a commuting society,” she said.

Foxton mentioned there could also be a benefit to having “general” election awareness signs posted, as opposed to those just for candidates, but she still wants the latter to be reconsidered.

“My only concern is people won’t realize who is running. It gives the previously elected an advantage because they have name recognition.”

One of the reasons the election sign bylaw was passed in 2021 was because of concerns over inequities for certain candidates and an unfair advantage for others, but Foxton thinks the ban has made it worse.

She said the financial strain from paying for signs is still lower than having to fork out advertising money in the media or paying for a billboard.

While residents can still post candidate election signs on private property, Foxton said she noticed a growing hesitancy to do so.

“What I found last election was, I talked to a lot of people and they didn’t want to put signs up because they didn’t want to be supporting one over the other, because they didn’t want people fighting against them,” said Foxton. “All of a sudden you had to protect your personal point of view.”

Foxton said the impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic also likely contributed to an apathy toward politicians and an election in 2022.

Regional clerks have been directed to look into all the factors that led to the plummeting voter turnout, including exploring the impacts of the election sign limitations. A report will be compiled and presented to councillors once it’s complete.