Does your vote even matter? 
Judging by these signs, some people think we’re getting a muppet no matter what. And someone even photoshopped a Klingon onto the Vernon mayoral race. (No, Gowron is not on your ballot. Yes, ‘Glory for all’, is still a better slogan than some I’ve seen.)
But here’s the thing. The joke only works because so many of us believe it.
In 2022, just 24.4% of eligible Vernon voters chose our council. So 3 out of 4 of us let someone else decide who sets our property taxes, sewer bills and snow clearing.
And I’ve missed a council seat by about 500+\- votes. TWICE.
So be honest with me: do YOU vote in city elections? And if not is it because you think you’ll get a muppet anyway?
Grab a coffee, because I’ve got some numbers, a bit of history, a few questions, and a personal story. 
FIRST, THE NUMBERS
Here’s how many of us voted in our area in the last two elections at each level:
City of Vernon: 29.6% in 2018, 24.4% in 2022
Provincial: 52.8% in 2020, about 61% in 2024
Federal: 64.8% in 2021, 72.8% in 2025
Only 8,677 people chose our current council.
So the level of government closest to your front door, and arguably effects you most personally, gets the FEWEST voters.
REMEMBER THE ACTIVE LIVING CENTRE VOTE:
This is the #1 complaint I hear:’Hardly anyone got to decide on the Active Living Centre!’
Here’s the thing. EVERY eligible voter got to decide. Most just didn’t show up.
In 2022, Vernon voted on borrowing up to $121 million over 30 years for the ALC.
Yes: 5,121
No: 3,282
That means about 1 in 7 eligible voters approved a $121 million decision for all of us. The difference between yes and no was about 1,800 votes.
Whether you love the ALC or can’t stand it, the outcome was decided by the people who showed up.
So be honest: did you vote on the ALC? If not, would you vote differently now, knowing what you know?
SO WHY DON’T WE VOTE LOCALLY:
Here’s what I hear most. Which one is you?
A- ‘I don’t know enough about the candidates’
No party names on the ballot, not much news coverage.
B- ‘It won’t change anything.’
C- ‘Nobody at City Hall listens anyway.’
D- ‘I forgot, or didn’t know it was happening.’
E- ‘I ALWAYS vote, and I’m side-eyeing everyone else.’
Drop your letter in the comments. No judgment here.
And for those who DO vote: what makes you do it? Habit? Duty? One issue that fired you up? I want to hear that too.
WHO ACTUALLY DOES WHAT:
Here’s a quick cheat sheet, because this confuses a LOT of people (and that’s not your fault):
CITY: property taxes, roads, sidewalks, snow clearing, sewer, parks, zoning and development, bylaws, fire service, and our share of policing. Your school trustees are on the same ballot too.
PROVINCE: health care and ambulances, school funding, highways, housing and tenancy rules, the ALR, and the courts.
FEDERAL: CPP and OAS, EI, immigration, trade and tariffs, the Criminal Code, and defence.
Most of what you notice when you walk out your front door belongs to the City.
Be honest: did you already know which level handles what? Which one surprised you?
AND NOW… TWO ELECTIONS, ONE WEEK APART
City election: Saturday, October 17
Provincial snap election: Saturday, October 24
This wasn’t supposed to happen. BC deliberately staggers local and provincial elections so they don’t land on top of each other. Local councils went from 3-year to 4-year terms back in 2014, and our election date is fixed for the third Saturday in October. The next provincial election wasn’t due until October 2028.
But a Premier can call an election early, and that’s what happened.
Premier Eby says it’s about standing up to Donald Trump and U.S. trade threats. Critics say the timing is political, coming right after the BC Conservative leader stepped down. Municipal leaders had passed an emergency resolution asking parties to keep the elections separate. It happened anyway.
So what does it mean for you:
Confusion. Mayors across BC are warning this could fuel more apathy and more confusion. Lawn signs are about to double.
Staffing strain. Some communities are losing local election workers to better-paying provincial jobs.
A possible upside. Some think overlapping campaigns could get people MORE engaged.
IMPORTANT: These are two separate elections, with separate ballots and separate voting places. Voting on Oct 17 does NOT count for Oct 24. You need to vote TWICE.
So what do you think? Will having two elections in one week make you MORE likely to vote, or LESS? Will it change HOW you vote?
WHY THIS MATTERS SO MUCH TO ME
My interest in local government is lifelong but was fueled in Grade 10, at a mock council exercise with the late Councillor Patrick Nicol. His genuine commitment stuck with me.
Then, the day after the 2016 U.S. election, I decided I needed to be part of something bigger. In January 2017 I went to the Women’s March in Washington, D.C. I came home with one simple takeaway: we ALL need to be involved in politics, whether it’s school board, city council, regional district or elections. Otherwise the people who may do things we disagree with are the ones who get elected.
I started getting involved again in local politics and watching council. That November, I sat in the council gallery for the budget meeting and at public input time asked a simple question the public had been asking: ‘How about a pool?’
I’ve been at almost every council meeting since 2017. At the 2024 budget input session, and through the 2025 budget meetings, I was the ONLY resident in the room. Showing up helped push a proposed 7.85% tax increase down to 5.49%. After the 2022 election, I discussed with our MLA with concrete ideas to raise local voter turnout.
And remember those 500 votes? That’s roughly the lineup at one polling station on a busy afternoon. So when someone tells me one vote doesn’t matter in a city election… I have some thoughts.
SO… WHAT CHOICE WILL YOU MAKE:
Whether you think you’ll end up with a council full of muppets or not, you get to choose which muppets. So how do you figure out who’s worth your vote?
Here’s where to look:
vernon.ca/voterinfo: the official candidate list, where and when to vote, and what ID to bring.
Local news: Castanet, the Vernon Morning Star and Vernon Matters all cover candidates and forums.
The Vernon & Area Political Discussion Forum on Facebook: one place to find local election info and ask questions about local politics, with good moderation that keeps it civil. Full disclosure: I started this group. I’m NOT moderating the municipal election posts this time around, but I am sharing voting locations and other helpful tidbits from across the region there. Come join the conversation! 
Vernon & Area Political Discussion Forum
All-candidates forums: the best way to see us answer the same questions side by side.
Missed the SENS forum on Sept 23? It focused on a thriving environment and community resilience, and the full video is posted here:
https://www.sensociety.org/…/2026-sens-all-candidates…
Council meeting recordings and agendas on the City’s website: want to know how incumbents actually voted? It’s all public. (Yes, I’ve watched most of them live.)
Candidate websites and pages: read their platforms, then ask yourself if they’ve shown up for Vernon BEFORE asking for your vote.
Find my full platform at: BuzzDawn.ca
Ask us directly! Call, email, message, or catch us at the door. Any candidate who won’t answer a question now probably won’t answer it after they’re elected either.
Give me a buzz: 250-549-9615
Watched the SENS video? Tell me which answer stuck with you, from ANY candidate. And where do YOU get your election info? What’s the ONE question you’d ask every candidate?
AND THE BIG ONE:
What’s ONE thing that would actually get you, your kids or your neighbour to vote in a city election? Online voting? More advance days? Something else?
I’m reading every single comment, and I’ll bring the best ideas forward.
CITY ELECTION
Vote Dawn Tucker for City Council, Your Financial Watchdog- A Voice You Can Count On
Advance voting: Oct 7 at the Schubert Centre (Emerald Room), Oct 14 at City Hall (Council Chambers)
General Voting Day: Sat, Oct 17, 8am–8pm, at the Rec Centre, Fulton and VSS
Details: vernon.ca/voterinfo
PROVINCIAL ELECTION
Sat, Oct 24. Find your spot at elections.bc.ca
Tag someone who doesn’t know there are TWO elections this month. And Share this post to spread the word.
Quick ground rule before you comment: let’s keep it civil. The muppet jokes are about voter apathy, NOT about anyone currently elected or running. So please no name-calling, no personal attacks, and no insults aimed at any candidate or current council member. Disagree with ideas all you want, just respect the people. Comments that cross the line will be removed.
#VernonVotes#VernonBC#BCMunicipalElection2026#VoteTwice#BuzzDawn