Big decision for Elmwood–Transcona

Elmwood

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 25/09/2024 (556 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Every election is important, but for residents of the Elmwood-Transcona riding, the byelection on Sept. 16 was a chance to make their priorities known to politicians. Although voter turnout was low, the election was an important event for this area of Winnipeg.

For much of Winnipeg, election Monday was just an ordinary day, but not for residents of the Elmwood-Transcona riding. It was very important for the New Democratic Party of Canada, as well, following longtime Member of Parliament Daniel Blaikie’s resignation to pursue work with the provincial government.

The NDP had won every election in this riding except in 20, when the Conservatives under Stephen Harper won a majority government. Although the election signs that residents put on their lawns might have led people to think that this year’s result would be different, the final numbers showed that although the race was not a runaway, voters generally stuck to tradition.

According to Elections Canada website, just over 39 per cent of eligible voters cast ballots on election day, not including people who registered on the day of the election. In Elmwood-Transcona, there were six candidates on the ballot, in contrast to the other byelection that took place on the same day, in the Montreal-area riding of LaSalle–Émard–Verdun, Quebec, where there were 91 candidates listed.

In Elmwood-Transcona, the NDP’s Leila Dance received 48.1 percent of the vote, with the Conservative candidate Colin Reynold not far behind with 44 per cent. The other four candidates each received a small proportion of the vote, under five percent for each.

Deciding on the best candidate in an election is never easy, but Elections Canada helped take away at least some of the uncertainty with a small booklet that residents of the area received. With information on how to register, what kind of identification was necessary, and different ways to vote, the booklet was designed to help people with almost everything they needed to prepare for the day.

Even special tools were part of the preparations for this election. As the voter guide noted, ballots and lists of candidates in Braille and large print editions were available, as well as language and sign language interpretation, magnifiers, and other forms of assistance.

Voting in a byelection can often seem insignificant. However, the election in Elmwood-Transcona was a good chance for people to have a voice in the future of their neighbourhoods.