Advance Planning for the 2026 Election

Good evening Mayor and Council. Thank you for the opportunity to speak.

I want to begin by again recognizing the City Clerk’s Office and the significant amount of work that goes into planning and delivering our local elections.

Their professionalism ensures that every Richmond resident has the opportunity to vote in a process that meets all legal and procedural standards.

But I’m here tonight because meeting the minimum legal requirements and little more is not the same as meeting our civic responsibility.

In the 2022 Richmond election, only 24.4% of eligible voters cast a ballot. That means three out of four residents stayed home.

As the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance reminds us,

"high voter turnout is a sign of a healthy democracy, while low turnout often reflects mistrust, disengagement, or the belief that voting doesn’t matter".

In recent weeks, Council had the opportunity to take a meaningful step — by supporting a motion to conduct a survey of voters and non-voters, and to potentially establish a Citizens’ Assembly to explore the root causes and barriers behind low turnout.

That motion was defeated.

And now, Council is considering an election budget that does almost nothing to strengthen the very outreach and engagement efforts that could help reverse this trend.

It is unreasonable to expect the City Clerk’s Office to innovate and increase voter participation while not providing the tools and resources they need to do so.

Consider this:

• The City’s advertising and outreach budget is about $30,000 — or roughly 13 cents per resident.

  • No business would expect customer engagement to grow by spending 13 cents per potential customer.

  • Yet that’s what we’re doing with our democracy — underinvesting and then blaming residents for not showing up.

• I understand the mobile app that helps younger and tech-savvy voters find where and how to vote is being replaced with a new app

  • The new app needs to be available NOW to build user adoption well in advance of the October 2026 election so more than 300 people use it.

  • What is the timeline to have this new app available to the public? What is the cost?

This discussion isn’t just about logistics.

It’s about leadership — and it’s about values.

Right outside of here, tomorrow November 11th, many of the same councillors who voted to block efforts to improve civic engagement will stand at the cenotaph for Remembrance Day ceremonies to honour the thousands of Canadians who sacrificed their lives to protect democracy and the right to vote.

That’s the very right we are neglecting when we refuse to act boldly to strengthen it.

Let’s be honest — that is not just irony.      It’s hypocrisy!

If we truly believe democracy matters — not just in words, but in deeds — then Council must empower the City Clerk’s Office with the support, resources, and mandate to do more than simply administer an election.

This is about more than ballots and procedures.

It’s about rebuilding trust and participation in our civic life.

Let’s honour our veterans not only with ceremonies, but with commitment — by strengthening the democracy they fought to protect, right here in Richmond.

Council has a choice:

To simply administer another election, or

to lead a renewal of local democracy in Richmond.

Thank you.

Jerome Dickey

Watch City Council Meeting: (at 4:50 mins) https://www.youtube.com/live/PmX0ejZL70s?si=cwfA6ouKoeBKwmLC