Elections NB uses Facebook ads to spur people to run in byelections

Elections NB is using geo-targetedads on Facebook in the hopes of garnering more nominations for upcoming municipal byelections.

The ads on the social media site appear in the 23 communities where byelections will be held Dec. 10 to fill 31 vacancies.

KimberlyPoffenroth, the province's chief electoral officer, said the agencyspent between $1,200 and $1,400 on the ads.

"It's a very low-cost campaign,"Poffenrothsaid. "And we're hoping not only that people will see the Facebook ads, but then share them, like them and pass it on to family and friends that live in the areas where we have vacancies."

Nominations opened earlier this month and close on Friday at 2 p.m. There are still some communities where no one has filed nomination papers.

Elections NB began the campaignNov. 6 and the ads have been viewed about 26,000 times. The campaign ends Wednesday.

Margot Cragg, executive director of theUnion of Municipalities of New Brunswick, said she's pleased Elections NB is trying to drum up awareness of the byelections.

"One of the challenges we have where you see those vacancies is awareness,"Craggsaid. "Many people are simply not aware of the byelections."

The group representing60 municipalities in the province had called for Elections NB to hold the byelections this fall, rather than pushing them to next spring.

Cragg said municipal elections often receive far less news coverage than other elections, despite the impact councils have on people's lives from streets to water and sewer service.

"It's less flashy, but it's incredibly important to our day-to-day lives," she said.

As of Tuesday afternoon,the Elections NB website showed no nomineesfor byelections in Alma, Aroostook, Ward 4 inBeaubassin East, Doaktown,Florenceville-Bristol, Hartland, Lac Baker, Rexton,Rivire-Verte and Salisbury.

Village without quorum

Aroostook, a village of 300 in western New Brunswick, needs to fill two of its four council seats. The community's council is unable to make quorumuntil then, meaning it can't carry out official business like passing a budget.

Poffenrothsaid if no one is nominated, the provincial minister of local government will administer the village.

No one stood for the vacant Ward 2 council seatin Florenceville-Bristol when Elections NB held byelectionsin May this year.

Poffenrothsaid byelectionswill be held again in Mayfor any positions not filled in the December votes.