Get off your arse and vote. Yes you. Wolfville is having a municipal election on October 15, 2016 and you should vote. You may be under the false pretense that this election does not pertain to you but I am here to assure you that as a resident of Wolfville and a student, this election has everything to do with you. Once you have read this list of compelling evidence, you are welcome to continue to be an apathetic citizen if I fail to persuade you of the utmost importance of your vote.
Maybe you do not fall under the category of “people who refuse to vote.” Maybe you vote in your hometown. You are a step ahead of many of your classmates, but still you must vote here in Wolfville. You may love your hometown dearly but the fact remains that you live in Wolfville 8 out of the 12 months of the year. That, my friends, is a majority so mathematical logic suggests you are more affected by the municipal government here in the Valley than anywhere else.
Perhaps you believe your vote won’t make a difference. Well, if everyone was as cynical as you, no one would vote, there would be no election, no democracy, and we would all live in a form of authoritarian regime that would make you wish you had voted.
It may be the case that you simply have no idea what the municipal government does. Fair enough, Grade 8 was a long time ago. Municipal government is charged with the responsibility of maintenance of all the services here in Wolfville. For example, the construction on Highland Street that is ongoing is the responsibility of the municipal government. That alone should be enough incentive for you to cast your vote.
Maybe you are a unicorn, and the inefficiency of Wolfville construction does not bother you. Well the election still pertains to you because you are a student living in a student town. This town cares about its students but it’s hard for this town to represent you if you don’t tell them what you want through your vote. There is a whole committee in this town dedicated to enhancing the relationship between the town and Acadia. The Acadia Town and Gown committee is made up of Council members, Acadia student representatives, and the mayor itself in order to address issues of common concern between these two bodies. There are also by laws that directly affect you as student residents of Wolfville, for example, The Prevention of Excessive Noise Bylaw is a common one that you may or may not encounter on a weekly basis.
What goes on in the municipal government affects you as a citizen of democracy, a resident of Wolfville, and a student of Acadia. So now that I have convinced you to vote you need to ensure that you are 18 years old, a citizen of Canada (sorry International Students) and you’ve been a resident of Nova Scotia for 6 months (sorry out of province first years)! The Town of Wolfville is making it so easy for you to vote by offering an advanced polling location at the Acadia Student Union Building on October 6 from 8 am until 12 pm. Who do I vote for, you ask? Stay tuned for the next article of the Athenaeum for a list of candidates for Councillor.
