The Vancouver Island Real Estate Board (VIREB) has launched a website with the goals of increasing citizen engagement and improving voter turnout for this year’s federal election.
No Vote, No Voice is a free non-partisan “virtual podium” for electoral candidates running in the four ridings in the VIREB area: North Island-Powell River, Courtenay-Alberni, Nanaimo-Ladysmith and Cowichan-Malahat-Langford. Voters can obtain details on a particular candidate at www.novotenovoice.ca.
“As Canadian citizens, we enjoy the right to vote, a privilege that individuals in many other countries can only envy,” says VIREB president Jason Finlayson. “However, voter turnout in B.C. has traditionally been low. We believe No Vote, No Voice will encourage more Vancouver Island residents to participate in the democratic process by providing candidate information on one online portal.”
Offered during British Columbia’s 2013 provincial election and 2014 municipal elections, the site gives candidates an opportunity to tell their story to voters. The site includes an interactive map with the various ridings to ensure people can find their local candidates quickly.
“By providing this level of 24/7 exposure, we offer voters a powerful resource to help them make informed choices on Election Day,” says Finlayson. All candidates running in the VIREB area have been invited to participate.