Smith: Canton lost while voters slept

In every election, there are winners and losers. Usually we think of the candidates as being the winners or losers. But in the recent Canton town election, Canton lost.

Canton lost because of low turnout. A little less than 4,000 of the approximately 18,000 registered voters turned out to vote. Approximately 80 percent of Canton’s voters essentially slept through the election. Despite mail-in and early voting options, many did not take the time to vote. In spite of the signs, discussions on social media, coverage in the Citizen and candidate forum on Canton Community TV, many voters were apparently unaware that there was an election, who was running and for which races.

Christine Smith

Canton lost because of the limited information available to the voters. While some candidates had robust websites, others did not. There was no forum open for citizens to ask questions. Background information about some of the candidates was not disclosed by the candidates themselves, nor disclosed by anyone else.

Canton lost because now the Select Board does not even slightly reflect the demographics within the town. In a town where 51 percent of the population is female, 10 percent of the population is African American, 7 percent Asian and 4 percent Hispanic (according to recent census information), the entire Select Board is now composed of white men.  Representation matters. The corporate world realized long ago that diversity among workers and leaders leads to better decisions. It is time that municipal government catches up. Instead, Canton has taken a step backwards.

A little history: 20 years ago, Canton voters decided to expand the Select Board from three to five members. The idea was that a five-person board would give broader representation and different voices, leading to better decision making and leadership. However, we now have a situation where the demographics and voices of the five are very much alike. The purpose of expanded leadership has been diluted. In fact, during the Select Board candidates’ forum, one of the newly elected members admitted having no experience but said, “It’s important to be on the same page. I know these guys. We all agree.” How is that in the best interest of the town?

And while representation matters, so too do qualifications. This election, Canton lost a highly qualified Select Board leader who viewed diversity and inclusion as an asset, who actively contributed to many committees, who brought forward to realization ideas supported by voters on everything from establishing a local dog park to energy aggregation and affordable housing, who helped get the Community Preservation Act passed, and who was instrumental in the beautiful space we now have at the former Plymouth Rubber site, the new tennis courts at the high school, the new pool on Bolivar Street, and more. Canton lost an experienced Select Board member who accomplished a lot in one term in favor of someone who admitted he had no municipal experience (and who did not bother to respond to inquiries from organizations seeking positions and candidate information).

There were discussions on social media regarding qualifications to hold elected office. My personal opinion was that the person should have been involved in Canton government at some level, should be a regular town meeting attendee and voter, and perhaps a volunteer on another town board or committee so that they would have a basic understanding of municipal government and municipal finance. Or perhaps the person would have some private sector experience managing budgets, being a good financial steward, or weighing the details related to making complex decisions that would be an asset in overseeing Canton’s annual operating budget, which exceeds $130 million. Apparently, the majority of voters who turned out to vote did not think that was necessary either.

Canton lost a member who had all of that experience and gained a new Select Board member who only meets the current basic qualifications of being a Canton resident and a registered voter.

Canton also lost because of the nasty nature of this campaign, evidenced by verbal harassment of supporters. Sign holders for Lisa Lopez, including me, heard homophobic and transphobic slurs yelled out of car windows, as well as taunting and swearing, some of which were even yelled by students from a school bus. A candidate’s supporters do not take these types of actions if the people they support do not share their opinions.

And yes, to address the anticipated complaints about this column, I am disappointed that my preferred candidate lost. You win some and you lose some.

However, I am mostly disappointed in the 80 percent of registered voters who did not take the time to vote, who did not understand that local elections matter. If the voters who voted in the last two presidential elections and the most recent governor’s election also paid attention and voted in their town election, the outcome of the race very likely would have been significantly different.

Voters who slept through the election impacted the outcome more than the ones who voted. And because of that we all lost.

Christine Smith is a mother of three, an attorney and longtime Canton resident.

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Posted by Christine Smith on Apr 14 2023. Filed under Featured Content, Opinion. Both comments and pings are currently closed.