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Additionally, the group recommended a pilot program to test online voting in Vancouver, and to allow 16-year olds to pre-register to vote.

If approved, these measures would almost certainly cause an increase in local voter turnout.

They would also make city council, parks, and school board more representative of the diversity of Vancouver, and less influenced by older, affluent voters who often end up with a veto on civic affairs.

Further, these are the same proposals that proponents of electoral reform have been arguing for federally. And yet, where is the support for this? Where are the petitions and days of action? If we are serious about making Canadian politics more inclusive and representative, we have to remember that the our politics are much more than whatever happens on Parliament Hill.

Ultimately, municipal and provincial politics might not be as alluring as federal politics.

Gregor Robertson will rarely make global headlines for his selfies. But his decisions, and those of city council, will have a real affect on the daily life of Vancouverites. It will affect a wide range of things — what transit we have, which neighbourhoods get priority for snow removal, how much housing supply is being created. As we learned this year, it also can affect how many people could die during a cold snap if the disadvantaged in our city don’t have adequate shelters and assistance.

Electoral reform can make our politics more inclusive and representative. This matters on the local level, as much, if not more, than the federal level. If we’re serious about these goals, the fight needs to take place closer to home, too.

Megan Dias is a MA student at UBC, specializing in political science. She has been involved in the electoral reform debate on the federal level, and was invited to speak in front of the Special Committee on Electoral Reform. Vyas Saran is a local political staffer and organizer, and holds a Bachelor’s degree from the UBC’s Political Science department.

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