As the capital region prepares for three consecutive years of elections, an Esquimalt councilor wants to cut down on the number of signs generated by campaigns.
Voters should make their choices based on policies and positions rather than choosing who is better at “populating a region with their name,” said Coun. Ken Armour, who wants staff to report back on the possibility of banning candidate election signs on public land.
“It’s not good environmentally, and it’s not good for esthetics,” he said. “It’s a constant use of plastic that lands in landfills.”
Boulevards and street corners will almost certainly be inundated with signs starting with the provincial election in October, followed by a federal vote in 2025 and municipal elections in 2026.
In a motion introduced Monday at an Esquimalt council meeting, Armour said advances in technology and digital media allow candidates “significant other opportunities to market themselves with voters and in more insightful ways than simply putting their name on a sign.”
Esquimalt council is expected to vote on the matter on June 24.
Armour’s previous attempt to ban election signs on public land three or four years ago was unsuccessful, he said.
The concern then was that limiting signs would limit the visibility of some candidates, he said.
Armour, a two-time councillor, admitted to putting up signs on public land during the last civic election, but said he only used about 15 reusable signs.
Last month, councillors in View Royal voted 5-2 at a committee of the whole meeting in favour of banning candidate signs on municipal land, although a final vote still has to be held.
Armour said he doesn’t mind election signs on private property. “The candidate would have spoken with that person, indicated what their positions were, and convinced that person that they would be OK with that candidate sign on their lawn.”
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