New Westminster residents looking to cast last-minute ballots in the Metro Vancouver transportation and transit plebiscite streamed into Burnaby’s Lougheed Town Centre on the last day of the vote Friday.
“It’s the panic run,” one Elections B.C. worker told the Record two hours before the 8 p.m. deadline. “It’s definitely spurred a lot of people to take [the ballots] out of their car. They’ve decided it’s too late to mail it, so now they’re bringing them in.”
Although the vote was designed as mail-in only, Elections B.C. opened nine depots in Metro Vancouver to answer questions and collect ballots. None was opened in New Westminster, so local residents who hadn’t mailed their ballots in time had to drop them off at the Burnaby mall.
Reasons for casting last-minute ballots ranged from procrastination to indecision to misunderstandings about the deadline, according to voters who spoke to the Record.
“I thought I could just postmark it, but then I was reminded on the news this morning it actually has to be received [today],” New Westminster resident Susan Wacker said after casting a Yes vote.
“I voted Yes because I recognize that we do need improvements in our transit system and also because I think that they’re going to find the money from us taxation-wise one way or the other, so this way it distributes it to all users; whereas, if they just tax property taxes, only certain people are paying.”
But Yuriy Zhevelyuk, a Maple Ridge resident who works in New West, said taxes shouldn’t have to be increased at all, so he voted No.
“I feel that they tax us enough as it is already,” he said, “and I believe they can improve efficiencies somewhere within their ranks to find ways to fund all those changes without having to tax us.”
Some No voters who spoke to the Record were more concerned about TransLink than higher taxes.
“I’m happy with paying more taxes,” local resident Andii Stephens said. “I’m a social democrat. I’m happy with paying more and getting more for it, but I’m not happy with the way that TransLink is being run right now. That’s my big issue.”
Meanwhile, busy New Wesminster mother of two, Desiree Savoy only found time to cast her ballot with less than two hours to go, but how she voted will stay between her and her secrecy envelope.
“I’m not going to tell you,” she said.
Results of the plebiscite are expected this summer.
The Metro Vancouver mayors’ 10-year plan promises more buses, increased HandyDart and SeaBus service, upgrades to roads and cycling infrastructure, light rail in Surrey, a new Pattullo Bridge and a subway along the Broadway corridor.
Voters in the plebiscite were asked whether or not they supported a new 0.5 per cent “Metro Vancouver Congestion Improvement Tax” to help pay for the plan.
