We saw a proliferation of newsletters and pamphlets when desktop publishing software and laser printers caused a massive drop in the cost of printing professional documents. But what technological change made it cost-effective to make dozens of lawn signs for small-town city councillor races? Did plastic sheets and wooden stakes suddenly become cheaper?
I grew up with the idea that lawn signs for only feature of provincial and federal elections. (Those of you from big cities might have different experiences.) But now it seems that all but the least-funded candidates for civic office have them, and even some of the school board trustees.
I have to wonder if they actually work in smaller races. For one thing, there's a much lower voter turn-out. That means that the herd-mentality types that might be swayed by quantities of signs make up a lower portion of the electorate. Whoever it is that votes in municipal elections manages to withstand letters from cranky taxpayers in the newspaper and re-elect most of the same people each time, so I don't think that a sign on a vacant lot is going to sway them.
Part of the problem is that in elections with parties, we already know all the stances of the candidates, they're just trying to remind you of their presence, the way Coca-Cola keeps advertising even though everyone knows who they are. But if federal and provincial elections are like the Cola Wars, then municipal elections are like buying small artisan creations: you don't know the brands, you're not even sure what you're buying, and you want to get to know the people behind the product. So just seeing their name over an over doesn't tell you much. I wouldn't by a hand-carved sea turtle from someone because I've seen their name lots of places, and I won't put them on city council either.
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