Citizens and their municipal governments: Increasing accountability

This thesis examines factors affecting voter participation in Canadian municipal elections through longitudinal case studies of local voting in two major Canadian cities: Vancouver and Winnipeg. It poses this in the context of current generalizations about the municipal electoral process. This study suggests that certain of these factors--particularly those focusing information for local voters--may explain important variations in municipal voting turnout patterns.;The rationale for this research is based on suggestions from a number of democratic theorists that there is a relationship between public participation and democratic accountability in municipal governance. Countering this contention that the more citizens participate in elections, the more governments are held accountable for their decisions, is the clear finding that many municipal elections in Canada do not generate high voter turnout rates. These low rates hint at a weakening of electoral accountability mechanisms.;The research results are drawn from observations of a four stage study conducted in the two cities. Voter turnout data from mayoral elections in Vancouver and Winnipeg were compiled from primary and secondary sources. These data were organized chronologically for each city to determine general trends and periods during which electoral participation peaked. These critical 'peak' periods were then examined, exposing a small variety of recurring factors. Finally, observations from both cities were compared to establish parallel trends. These findings and comparisons were tested against generalizations about municipal elections in Canada. The study concluded that some factors were instrumental in explaining higher rates of local electoral participation: specifically, the highest and most stable periods of voting occur in ward based elections contested between parties. This finding suggests a need for additional research and a need to rethink some of what we think we know about the municipal electoral process in Canada.