Municipal voter turnout in New Brunswick

Of the 416 municipal elections held in New Brunswick between 1995 and 2004, 322 (77 percent) featured competitive mayor and/or council races. Of these 322 competitive contests, 28 percent had turnout rates below 50 per cent .In attempting to suggest how municipal accountability might be increased, this study uses regression analysis to explain why some competitive municipal elections might have higher voter turnout rates than others. Results suggest that turnout from previous years, concurrent provincial referendums, and competitive mayoral races significantly affect municipal turnout rates. Based on these findings, this study suggests indemnities would encourage competition for the mayoral position and in doing so, raise aggregate voter rates in already competitive elections, encourage more candidates to join in non or under-competitive contests and help ensure the overall health of representative local democracy in New Brunswick.