P.E.I. has been put through the wringer. Now there's a crucial municipal election to talk about

When voters head to the polls on Nov. 7, they may notice fewer people on the ballot — a sign that the Island has had it's fair share of events lately that may have voters at their limits.

Adding to the ever-growing list of things Prince Edward Island has on the go right now: a municipal election with massive consequences.

COVID-19 and its punishing seasonal waves; gas, rent and inflation running wild; Fiona and the dramatically urgent conversations about climate change; a health-care system on the verge of collapse; pertinent social issues like housing and homelessness commanding the attention of people and all levels of government.

In-between all these major events are the day-to-day news and issues that beg for Islanders' attention. Perhaps this is why this crucial municipal election feels like another easy-to-miss wave in what's been a tsunami of events to start the decade.

"There's a general weariness, I think, amongst the population, including me. I think we all feel it," said Don Desserud, political science professor at UPEI. 

"That puts a damper on their enthusiasm for getting involved, and it's too bad because we really need people to be involved but I appreciate that it's getting harder and harder to get involved at the local level."

Sweta Daboo, the executive director of the P.E.I. Coalition for Women in Government, said she's heard from many people who just don't have the time for this election. Not that voters don't care, but that there isn't the energy and excitement there to engage with candidates and discuss issues.

"People are tired," she said. "We're seeing increased risks of burnout, we're seeing people being pulled in different directions and just having trouble just keeping up with their day-to-day responsibilities and that ends up culminating in a lack of interest when it comes to these elections."

Government's are becoming very good at telling us what they cannot do and not so good at telling us what they can do.— Don Desserud

Desserud said that people may have the perception that they can't make enough of a difference at the municipal level. In reality, they can but there are towering provincial, federal and global issues that hang overhead.

The challenge, Desserud said, is when municipal officials too often tell their voter base the things they aren't responsible for and can't do, versus highlighting the tangible change they can make in their communities.

"Government's are becoming very good at telling us what they cannot do and not so good at telling us what they can do," Desserud said. "If you listen to the press conferences that our leaders at any level give, a lot of it is filled up with explaining why they're not able to do something about whatever the problem is that they're faced with. That doesn't help."

Essentially, political leaders saying such things as "it's a provincial issue, not a city issue" ends up turning more people away from running in the future — a far cry from the tone of the municipal election four years back.

Harassment, violence reasons why some may not run

For those who were here, think back to the fall of 2018 and the number of new faces and contested wards we saw in Charlottetown, Summerside, Stratford and Cornwall — the four municipalities Elections P.E.I. was administering the elections for at that time.

People were thinking up environmentally friendly ways to reuse their election signs. One candidate even painted pumpkins to campaign.

There were women running for mayor in the province's largest municipalities.

There were BIPOC candidates running (some, not many) and open conversation about including diverse voters and candidates in the electoral process.

In 2018, there were only three wards that went uncontested across those four municipalities. It wasn't uncommon either to see up to five people running for one seat.

Leap ahead to 2022, where many have abandoned election signage (largely in respect to post-Fiona cleanup efforts); there are no women running for mayor in Charlottetown and Summerside; there are no BIPOC candidates running; and there are seven wards and a mayoral race that aren't being contested.

We're seeing increased risks of burnout, we're seeing people being pulled in different directions.— Sweta Daboo

No greater example on the level of engagement is in Summerside, where five of eight wards are acclaimed in this election. In the 20 years of elections prior, Summerside has had acclamations just six times. 

It's not a knock whatsoever on the councillors who are acclaimed in the city, but for voters, there's less of an opportunity this time around to have issues debated, solutions weighed and platforms challenged. 

What also may contribute to fewer people running for municipal office, Daboo said, is a lack of trust in local governments and a higher level of harassment and violence facing candidates — particularly women and people of colour.

"Looking at having very derogatory comments toward women in person or online, and that does create a bit of concern on the behalf of potential municipal candidates," she said.

"Are you getting elected to get insulted?"

Ontario's municipal election is underway now as well and candidates are seeing anti-Black racist messages, violent threats, stolen lawn signs, anti-vaccine and antisemitic messages

This year alone we've seen federal leaders and their spouses face increased harassment, public confrontations, threats and online abuse.

What are the key issues in 2022?

So what does that leave us with? An election with fewer candidates, an already exhausted voter base and, the return of simmering issues from the last election cycle that are now at a raging boil.

The need for solutions to the housing and climate crisis are more pressing now than 2018. Add onto those big ticket items — the rising cost of living; doctor recruitment and retention; mental health services; rapid urbanization and valued green space; emergency preparedness; policing and protection.

Of course, some of the above fall under the province or Ottawa to solve — but voters and candidates have expressed a need to have municipalities at the decision table to have all levels of government present to find the fixes.

But there's another standout issue for the 2022 election.

"The overriding issue is integrity, and a lot of people are concerned … about whether or not the municipal governments that we have are actually out there working for their constituents," Desserud said.

"People are becoming increasingly frustrated that their councillors are not listening to the concerns of their own neighbourhood. Again, that may not be fair but that's certainly what I think a lot of people feel right now and that has hurt this process considerably."

Daboo agrees. She referred to recent controversies at the City of Charlottetown as points where there is a larger public need for transparency at a municipality's administrative level. She also said when voters see instability, they are reluctant to get involved.

"Municipalities have been in the news a lot over the past couple years for the right and the wrong reasons, and the more there is controversy, the more there is dysfunction being brought to light within municipalities the less people may see value in directly engaging," she said.

These types of comments were not as dominant, if existent, in the 2018 election and it's a sign of the times that they're a high priority for voters come Nov. 7. 

Though there are fewer people running this time around, the stakes are higher than ever.