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How to have your voice heard

With five weeks until municipal elections on Oct.
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With five weeks until municipal elections on Oct. 20 to select Prince George's city council, directors for the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George and trustees for School District 57 (Prince George), there's plenty of time to learn about the candidates and issues.

The reality, however, is many eligible voters won't take five minutes, never mind five weeks, to take part in the democratic process.

If that's all you have to give, however, you can still get involved. Even if you don't actually go out and vote, that five minutes can still pay off and you can make your voice heard.

It's easy.

If one (or more) of the candidates comes to the front door of your home or you see one (or more) candidates at the grocery store, at the mall, at a hockey game, wherever between now and Oct. 20, stop, introduce yourself and ask them either one question or let them know how you feel about one issue.

Some sample questions for mayor and council candidates:

How will you vote on a cannabis retail store application that meets all of the city's bylaw requirements?

Do you support revising the city's overtime policy for management or do you support keeping it the same as it is now?

Do you support giving the city's senior managers the same yearly pay increases as the unionized employees or do you support paying them with other cities pay for the same positions?

Will you keep Masich Stadium open from dawn until dusk for residents who want to use the track when the field is not booked or will you reduce the hours if city staff recommend it?

What are your ideas on: lower tax increases, reduced city spending, economic development, job growth, tourism, arts spending, sports funding, more city parks, better snow removal, street and sidewalk maintenance, accessibility (pick one of the above)?

Some sample questions for school trustee candidates:

What are the pros and cons of the new curriculum for elementary or high school students (pick one)?

Do you support SOGI instruction or do you think that should be left to parents (see if they know that SOGI stands for sexual orientation and gender identity)?

Do you support mandatory vaccinations for all public school students or do you think parents should have the right to opt out due to their personal beliefs?

What are your thoughts on: compulsory concussion protocol testing for all high school athletes, banning smartphones during school hours, mandatory playground speed limits around all schools and in effect 24/7 (pick one from the above)?

And let them answer, listening carefully, for a few minutes.

Even if you don't know a ton about any of those topics, what you're trying to find out is how much the candidates (who are applying for jobs, after all) know about the topic. If the answer sounds reasonable and well-informed, you've probably found a good candidate. If they have no idea what you just asked or it sounds like they're making it up as they go along, now you know who doesn't deserve a seat at the table.

Either way, you should now be motivated to actually spend a few more minutes and actually take the time to cast a ballot.

Either way, thank them for both taking the time to answer your question and for letting their name stand for public office.

Or maybe you'd rather do the talking. If elected, they'll have plenty of opportunity over the next four years to talk, so maybe you'd just rather introduce yourself and tell them what you think about a local issue you care about that the candidate would actually have the power to do something about should they be elected.

If they want to respond and either you don't have the time or don't want to hear it, tell them that.

Just be calm and respectful.

No need to be a screaming lunatic.

A screaming lunatic thinks their voice should be heard above all others.

A screaming lunatic thinks everyone should stop and listen.

A screaming lunatic is ignored as... a screaming lunatic.

Same goes for online or social media. Skip the all-caps shouting and ask questions or post comments in a civil way.

Whether you take a few minutes to interact personally with the candidates, whether it's face-to-face, by email or through social media, they'll hear you, especially if they're getting the same question or comment over and over. So even if you don't vote (and you really should), election season is always the time would-be politicians are listening.

-- Editor-in-chief Neil Godbout