What happens when “unwinnable” constituencies suddenly become winnable?

You get headlines like this and this.

I am not saying it’s easy to get candidates to stand against the incumbents in rock solid safe seats. Far from it.

After all, they are doing the Party a favour. They don’t expect to end up in the House of Commons. But sometimes it happens.

The leftish NDP is on a roll and is predicted to win a swathe of constituencies, many in Quebec.

And then the nightmare begins for the shiny new NDP MP. Your new constituency in Quebec is largely French speaking but you can’t speak the lingo! Aaaaaargh!

In the (safe) Conservative constituency where I am tap tap tapping this out, the NDP standard bearer (a student) failed to show for the candidates’ debate.

Her supporters circulated a letter telling the audience she had exams that clashed.

How does that rate for an excuse?

One out of ten, I’d say.

Paying for votes

I’ve long believed people should be rewarded in some way for voting.

Perhaps a small adjustment to their pension or benefits if they are not working. Or a tweak to their tax code, giving the civic minded an extra few quid.

This used to be regarded as mildly eccentric. Probably still is.

However, in 2008, the White Paper: “Communities in Control: real people, real power” suggested councils could enter voters into a prize draw as a way of boosting turnout.

It warned that voting incentives should not be construed as ‘paying for votes’…

“Instead they should be viewed as an eye catching method to increase awareness and engagement, especially with young people who have never voted and who might view the process with suspicion.”

I wonder whatever happened to the idea?

We certainly could do with a bit of razzmatazz now with the prospect of a record low turnout in the AV referendum on 5 May.

In Canada they have had exactly the same problems with voter engagement. At the last federal election in 2008, turnout dropped below 60% for the first time.

Writing in today’s Globe and Mail, Jim Stanford, an economist with the Canadian Auto Workers Union wants voters to get a $10 bill when they turn out to vote.

Statistically, age is the most important factor in voter turnout: The younger you are, the less likely you are to vote. Income is the next most important: Participation rises steadily with income, peaking for those taking in more than $100,000 per year. Little wonder, then, that government doesn’t work very well for youth and the poor.

Economics shows that many problems can be solved by understanding and applying material incentives. Why not apply that same logic to democracy? Pay a nice crisp $10 bill to every Canadian who shows up to exercise their civic duty.

The amount of $10 means nothing to high-income Canadians, who will vote anyway on the basis of their strong cultural and political capital. They can always donate their 10 bucks to charity.

But it means a lot to young people and poor people: $10 is a small price to pay to help those Canadians who have the most to gain from democracy to start wielding its power.

A good idea but I bet $10 it won’t happen.