Skip to content

School board tries to engage its ‘apathetic’ voters

Inviting fresh ideas to Clearview School Division, trustees are urging quality candidates to step forward and voters to cast

Inviting fresh ideas to Clearview School Division, trustees are urging quality candidates to step forward and voters to cast their ballots.

Billboards are up to welcome candidates to run for election, superintendent John Bailey said during the board’s regular meeting last week.

“Are you passionate about education?” is the message promoted throughout the school division.

Trustees also suggested ways to engage the electorate during the campaign, in which voters will elect trustees for four years, from the current three-year terms.

“A joint candidates forum with the town and trustees would be helpful,” said trustee Patty Dittrick.

Another Clearview trustee suggested a partnership with the Stettler municipalities.

“Maybe we should work with the town and county to encourage people to come out and vote,” said trustee Peter Simons, also a councillor for the Town of Stettler.

“If all three did the same promotion, we could save money for all three of us.”

“We have such voter apathy, we have to do anything to get people to get out to vote,” said trustee Yvette Cassidy, also serve as returning officer for the County of Stettler.

In many communities, voters will be able to cast ballots for both school trustees and municipal councils in the same polling station.

Trustee Karen Holloway of Castor said that she placed her own newspaper advertisement to urge voters to get to the polls on election day.

Nomination day is Sept. 23, with the election on Oct. 21.

Clearview will stage its organizational meeting Oct. 30.