With just over two weeks until the election, the City is looking ahead and hoping to see an increase in voter turnout.

Lynda McLean, Team Lead for Corporate Communication with the City of Airdrie, said that the City is using a social media strategy aimed to raise awareness about the election. The strategy revolves around the hashtag #AirdrieVotes in the hope of increasing voter turnout.

McLean explained the importance of increasing this year's turnout.

"It makes for a better democratic process all around if people in the community are engaged, are listening to the candidates, are recognizing what municipal government is responsible for, and what those candidates can potentially do for them."

The City provided statistics on voter turnout for the past five elections. In 2013, the last election, just under 18 percent of 31,500 eligible voters turned up to cast a ballot. That was an improvement on the 12 percent that voted ten years ago in 2007, but nowhere near the 31 percent voter turnout of 2004 or even the 22 percent turnout of 2001.

 

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