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Survey finds cautious support for council voting districts; many residents undecided
Summary
A DHM Research poll of 400 Vancouver residents found 58% support for creating council voting districts after respondents were given basic information, though a large share remained undecided. The City’s districting committee and council members discussed next steps and timing for any ballot measure.
A majority of Vancouver residents who were given basic information said they would support creating voting districts to elect City Council members, but a large share of the public remained uncertain, the city’s consultant told council at a workshop.
Devin Bales, director of research at DHM Research, told the council the firm surveyed 400 Vancouver residents by phone and text between Jan. 27 and Feb. 2 and set demographic quotas to match the city’s population. "With a sample size of 400, the margin of error is about 4.9 percent," Bales said.
The nut graf: In an initial, uninformed question 49% of respondents said they supported districts, 19% opposed and 32% said they did not know. When the survey provided a short explanation that councilors are currently elected at-large and that districts would elect council members to represent only part of the city, support rose to 58% and opposition to 29%, while 13% remained unsure. The result leaves the council with both measurable support…
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