The New Westminster school board won’t be elected by randomized ballot this time out – but the change could come for 2026.
Trustees voted Tuesday night (June 7) to keep the existing election process intact for this fall’s civic election, set for Oct. 15. That means candidates’ names will appear on the ballot in alphabetical order by last name, as has been standard.
At the May 24 school board meeting, trustee Maya Russell had suggested the board consider switching to a randomized ballot to eliminate the potential unfair advantage to certain candidates based on name order. The board agreed to postpone its decision until the school district had a chance to consult with the city.
On June 7, secretary-treasurer Bettina Ketcham reported she had conferred with the city’s chief election officer. She said city raised some potential issues, including the fact that some election materials would need to be reworked and the fact that the mail-in ballot process could be shortened by the need to first hold a draw to select the ballot order.
Ketcham also noted the potential for confusion if the school board ballot was randomized while the city council ballot remained in alphabetical order, as the city has already decided to do.
Instead, Ketcham said, the city suggested the two parties could hold a full discussion following this fall’s election. That way, if they chose to make any changes, both entities could do so in time for the next municipal elections in 2026.
Trustee Anita Ansari said she supported the slower approach to make sure the district picks up all the loose ends.
“I feel like we have to explore the ripples from this decision a little bit more before we put it into place,” she said.
The trustee election bylaw received two readings at a special board meeting June 7, with third reading and final adoption set for June 21.
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