WINNIPEG, June 8, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Winnipeg Free Press reported that last Tuesday’s provincial election, which gave the ruling NDP another majority, produced the lowest voter turnout in 54 years. Elections Manitoba reported that only 53.9 per cent of eligible voters cast a ballot on Tuesday, a huge 14 per cent drop from the last election.
The reasons for the low turnout are unclear. There is speculation that publication of pre-election polls caused voters to stay home since the NDP win seemed to be a “done deal”. However, following recent voting trends across the nation, Manitobans may also be getting more cynical about the political process and the apparent lack of clear alternatives between the parties.
Recounts are still likely in the ridings of Minnedosa and Fort Garry, where the numbers between the top two candidates were very close.
Pro-life, pro-family Manitobans were given precious little to be enthusiastic about by most of the candidates. Campaign Life Coalition Manitoba president Maria Slykerman commented on the disappointing campaign and the NDP candidates’ refusal to state their views on the life issues.
Slykerman wrote that the NDP “promised better health care, more doctors, nurses and a decrease in hallway medicine. They promised initiatives to keep the young people here, since many are leaving the province. If we would stop aborting 3,366 unborn children a year, we would have many young and productive people, who in time would be our nurses and doctors, we wouldn’t have to worry about the many seniors that are left to care for themselves. But the NDP government doesn’t see it that way, they have a party policy that would not even allow their candidates to give their own opinion about life issues. We call that democracy?”
See LifeSite’s Manitoba election page which now indicates which candidates were elected in the ridings. https://www.lifesitenews.com/elections/provincial/Manitoba/2003/