Today's final advance poll opens in a mere 15 minutes, and so I'd like to take an opportunity to remind everyone how to vote strategically in the municipal election. It actually works!
Kimberley City Council is comprised of one mayor and six councilors, and you'll be asked to vote for mayor and council on separate ballots. Since there's only one mayor position up for grabs, voting on the mayor ballot is (relatively) easy: you'll pick one of the two candidates. Voting for council, though, is a little more complex. You can vote for up to six candidates.
'Up to six' is the critical phrase here. You are not obligated to mark six names, and in fact your votes are stronger the fewer you choose. Here's why:
All of the candidates are competing for the same six seats, and all votes are weighted equally. There is no ranking of candidates. So if you feel strongly about only three candidates but vote for six - your three top choices and three you're lukewarm on - all six are equally likely to be elected.
If you vote only for your three top choices, however, you're giving them an advantage over the other candidates - a vote for them alone over and above the other votes they receive - and increasing the chance that they will be elected.
This technique is called 'plumping' your ballot. It is valid and it is effective.
Please give careful consideration to how you use your votes. If you're excited about two or three or four candidates in particular (and I'm hoping that I'm one of those candidates!), vote only for them. You will be helping to bring exceptional people to city council.
No comments:
Post a Comment