47,00 Votes
VOTE Socialist Volunteers
Thank you Volunteers and Comrades
It’s been just over a week since the election. Although the overall results weren’t what any progressive or left voter wanted for our city, we’re proud of what our brand new organization was able to accomplish in just a few months.
We’re writing today to say THANK YOU for everything you did to support VOTE Socialist. Thank you to those who donated, volunteered, put up a sign, shared a social media post, or just talked to their friends about voting socialist.
Approximately 171,494 ballots were cast of 472,663 registered voters, resulting in a voter turnout of 36.3%. Tens of thousands of people voted for explicitly socialist candidates - that’s no small feat! Our biggest vote totals came in areas where we mainstreeted a lot, places like Mt. Pleasant, Commercial Drive, and the West End. Each and every volunteer who joined our canvass teams or helped out at Car Free Day made a difference.
Although we launched VOTE Socialist on May 1st, less than 6 months before the election, and only received official electoral organization status in July, we were able to energize people and shift the whole discourse around the election. When the Vancouver Police Union brazenly intervened to back Ken Sim and ABC, it was Sean Orr and our party who led the push back.
With a shoestring budget of less than $30,000, our candidates beat everyone who ran with the well-funded developer-backed Progress party, as well as a number of the TEAM candidates and many of the candidates from established parties like the NPA and Vision Vancouver.
Thanks to you, we put socialist ideas on the ballot and created a political vehicle that can help lead the fight back against Ken Sim’s agenda of adding more police and imposing austerity on the public services we all depend on.
From the Candidates
SEAN ORR
“Thanks to each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart. I absolutely felt alive on the campaign trail. I felt I had found my calling. My voice. I don’t want to lose that feeling. I want to continue to be a voice for the marginalized. For those at the mercy of capitalism’s concurrent crises. Thanks everyone.”
DR. KARINA ZEIDLER
“I would like to thank all of you for an incredible campaign. Certainly, the ABC sweep into power is distressing, but it should not overshadow the amazing work we were able to do in such a short amount of time, with limited funds, limited groundwork, standing firm on covid safety, and only a small group of core organizers. We got endorsements from people in our communities that we deeply respect for their moral authority. I think we could all feel the momentum build in the last few days of the campaign, which ended up with 60+ volunteers for E-day, 300+ party members, and tens of thousands of voters. Now, the work is going to be keeping that momentum going, to help shield people from despair and hopelessness.“
ANDREA PINOCHET-ESCUDERO
“Thank you to everyone who voted and supported me. It means a lot. I was blown away by the creativity and dedication of our volunteers, and our organizers. I think we’ve got a great platform now to continue advocating for the transformative changes we need.
These next years will be challenging times for Vancouver, but have to keep organizing. As a child I watched my parents fight a brutal dictatorship. I know in hard times solidarity and unity are forged — to fight the common enemy. Change will happen, but it just takes time!!”