A new coalition of community groups is trying to cut through the confusion of Greater Victoria’s complex voting landscape ahead of the civic elections in October. With 13 municipalities, there are typically well over 100 candidates vying for seats on councils and school boards within the Capital Regional District (CRD). Livable CRD is keeping track of those candidates and their platforms. “Lots of people just don’t have time to go through 13 to 50 different candidates’ platforms to kind of dig deep enough to feel confident to make an informed decision at the polls,” said Livable CRD spokesperson Michael Bassili. The coalition is comprised of volunteers from 10 community groups. Livable CRD is putting together a survey, which will gather candidates’ thoughts on the big issues. Bassili said the results will be shared online by early September. “We’re not going to endorse any candidates,” he said. “We just want to provide as much information up front as possible, and that also includes the raw responses on our scorecards.” Candidates will be graded by subject matter experts from the organizations that make up the coalition. Those groups focus on various causes, including climate justice, health care, and transit. A political scientist said offering clarity to voters could increase turnout at ballot boxes. “Because there can be so many candidates and because there is a whole host of issues, it can be hard and it can be overwhelming to step into the pool,” said Daniel Reeve, an instructor at Camosun College. Reeve said this election, Saanich and Langford are the municipalities to watch. Saanich will elect a new mayor, as current mayor Dean Murdock is stepping down. In Langford, former mayor Stew Young is vying to get his seat back, after he was defeated by Scott Goodmanson in 2022.
