Had fixed election dates existed when David Peterson was premier, he’d have been checked from calling a premature election. His already large majority at Queen’s Park, recently given by provincial voters, proved no match for his hubris and power to set election dates. Even Keith Davey, master Liberal campaign strategist, could not dissuade him. Ontarians decided to elect a premier who actually wanted to govern. Bob Rae became our first NDP premier, and Kenneth Black, a knowledgeable representative for Muskokans, found his promising political career over just as it was beginning.
Second, we know the campaign’s timetable. Government contractors, civil servants, and individuals intending to take a leave of absence to run for parliament all have a timetable within which to plan. This also helps those booking advertising, and looking for campaign office facilities – both the returning officer for Parry Sound-Muskoka, as well as each party’s candidates. Getting the playing field well set in advance reduces disruptive distractions of its faulty operation and enables us to savour the real issues during a dynamic, intense campaign.
Third, we also know the campaign will be short. Perhaps you recall long, indeed very long, campaigns. The secondary reason for that was such a big country took leaders time to get around and campaign print materials to be distributed. Now a national leader can address a breakfast rally in Glace Bay, a luncheon event in Thunder Bay, and an evening gathering in Oak Bay – as the campaign’s private jet vaporises our many time zones. The primary reason, however, is we no longer have to wait for enumerators to compile the voters’ lists.
Of all the democracies, Canada held the record for highest number of eligible voters on the list and able to cast ballots on election day. That was because only after the election was called were enumerators appointed and began making their rounds, in pairs, of the polls, recording all voters. (This resulted from earlier elections and a campaign practice called “voting the graveyards.”) They’d make return calls for those missed. There came a period of revision. The lists were set into type by printers, and posted in public places for knowledgeable scrutiny. Because these steps took time, we paid for accuracy with long campaigns.
Generally, enumerators were housewives with free time and happy for extra income. By the Sixties, women’s roles and demographic patterns meant fewer were available for enumerating. Also, by the Seventies, women protested public notice on utility poles about where they were living, alone. The result was advent of permanent voters’ list. Computers helped. The cost is quite high, but in exchange we get today’s shorter, focused campaigns.
The Election Act ensures, in dozens more ways, that the struggle for power is known and predictable, at least as to process. As for outcome, we’ll know that, too, in eight weeks.
