Looking for reasons why only a quarter of the 51,089 eligible voters bothered to do so on Saturday and pick a new council for Maple Ridge for the next three years?
Blame the competitors for the mayor’s chair.
Ernie Daykin was running for a second term and almost looked liked he would be acclaimed when Craig Ruthven opted to challenge instead of running for a council seat.
“There wasn’t the kind of interest that we had in the past,” said district spokesman Fred Armstrong.
In the 2008 election, the three-way contest between high-profile contenders Michael Sather, Gordy Robson and Ernie Daykin brought out voters.
The 2011 turnout of 25 per cent was below 2008’s percent of 29 per cent.
Armstrong said the number of eligible voters was greater this year compared to three years ago, but the overall number of voters was down by about 1,000.
Advance voting took place Nov. 5 and 9, with only 624 electors taking advantage of the opportunity to mark their choices for mayor, council and school board.
In Pitt Meadows, turnout for the election was up with 30 per cent or 3,684 of 12,200 registered voters casting their ballots, compared to 23 per cent in 2008.
Advance polls also saw an increase with 488 voters casting their ballots, compared to just 200 three years ago.