Editorial: Collectively and one-by-one, our votes make a difference

Not everyone saw the need for an early election, but now that it’s almost upon us, most of us would agree that the campaign wasn’t too long.

Election day is Saturday, Oct. 24.

Hopefully a few weeks was enough time for voters to be able to make up their minds and feel like they can make an informed choice when they mark their ballots. With record numbers of vote-by-mail packages, it seems voters were comfortable making their choices days or weeks ago and sealing their envelopes.

Generally the campaign unfolded along the lines that most would have expected. The discussion and debate wasn’t all about COVID-19, but everything that was discussed and debated was informed by our pandemic realities and expectations of what that will mean for British Columbia in the coming months and years.

Every election campaign comes with big, splashy promises and there were some of those from every party. Promises only mean so much, but they should hold some sway, because pandemic recovery, probably, will have to be a mix of responsible budgeting and big ideas.

Election candidates, rallies and campaigning weren’t quite as visible around the community as in past elections, but if parties were finding voters over social media and connecting with them in their homes that way, then they were probably on the right track.

In our Wednesday issue of the News Bulletin, we tried to pack the paper full of a lot of local election information, with coverage of last week’s debates as well as messaging straight from the candidates and their campaign teams. We hope you’ve also been accessing election coverage on our website and will continue to do so through election night. There’s a ‘B.C. politics’ tab at the top of our web page where you can find local and provincial articles.

We know more of you than usual have already voted. To the rest, please do. One vote among thousands might not seem like a lot, but so many are voting hopefully, with visions of what they want for B.C., and they need your vote, because all together those votes do mean a lot.

editor@nanaimobulletin.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter