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Vancouver man engaging voters one sandwich at a time

Byron Dauncey of Vancouver has found a unique way to cut through partisan politics to appeal to disenfranchised voters. It starts with a butter knife.
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Byron Dauncey of Vancouver is encouraging B.C. residents to engage non-voters in the democratic process by promising to make them a sandwich in exchange for voting in the upcoming provincial election.

Byron Dauncey of Vancouver has found a unique way to cut through partisan politics to appeal to disenfranchised voters.

It starts with a butter knife.

He rolled out his plan "I will make you a sandwich" in early April and the concept is as old as peanut butter and jam: appeal to someone's sensibilities through their stomach.

Dauncey's culinary pitch is aimed at those who already plan to vote - it's up to them to get political newbies onboard by promising a sandwich in return for their participation in the democratic process.

"People don't always vote, but everybody loves a sandwich," Dauncey said.

Dauncey's website - iwillmakeyouasandwich.com - was launched April 10 and featured some decidedly unorthodox combos: peanut butter, mayo and onion, or a grilled cheese topped with blackberry jam.

That's not to suggest others follow suit with similarly weird recipes.

It's Dauncey's hope that the sandwiches will be tailored to whatever the new voter wants.

"There's a bit of a taboo around talking about politics around the dinner table or with friends," he said.

"It bothers me a little bit because it encourages people to be apathetic, in that they'll consider talking about politics as rude, but they'll talk at length about a sandwich or a recipe."

Dauncey insists his sandwich movement is non-partisan. He's a professional photographer and typically shoots artists and their art. The 39-year-old doesn't care how people vote, as long as they do, whether it be provincially on May 9 or in the next federal election.

The 2015 federal election saw the highest voting numbers since 1993. Trudeau's win drew a 68.3 per cent voter turnout, as 17.7 million Canadians cast ballots of the nearly 26 million registered.

Dauncey first launched his campaign in 2015, but it was a decidedly low-key affair.

At that time, he turned six people on to all things Reuben or Monte Cristo. He's hoping at least 25 converts come out the other side of May 9.

Dauncey concedes there's no way to quantify or track if the transaction gets completed. That point is secondary to the exercise itself. He also wants to emphasize that he won't be the sandwich artist delivering the goods - the onus is on voters to convert their non-voting friends with the promise of making them a sandwich once the good deed is done. Dauncey is simply facilitating and conveying the idea.

"As an artist and as a creative person, I like to think of new ways and subversive techniques of reaching people," he said.

Inspiration for your sandwich pledge to the province can be found online at iwillmakeyouasandwich.com.