Video: PoCo candidates use musical talents to encourage 2022 election voting

Watch: Through song, Port Coquitlam council candidates encourage residents to vote

Erik Minty and Justin Alexander Smith take inspiration from The Beatles to produce a music video reminding eligible voters to cast a ballot on Saturday (Oct. 15).

Erik Minty and Justin Alexander Smith are running against each other for one of six seats on Port Coquitlam city council.

But for two minutes and 22 seconds, the candidates put their personal agendas aside and used their musical talents to post a creative reminder for eligible residents to cast their vote in the 2022 civic election.

To the tune of The Beatles' 1966 classic Yesterday, Minty and Smith produced "Election Day" as a soft ballad ahead of decision day — set of Saturday (Oct. 15) from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Minty wrote the Yesterday parody and provided the vocals, while Smith played electric guitar, recorded the music and produced the video, which was published to YouTube on Wednesday (Oct. 12).

In the video, the lyrics include:

If you just stay home,

then you give your rights away.

You can come with me,

and we'll vote on Election Day.

The words are reminiscent of the voter turnout stats PoCo has played out in the last three elections.

Despite having grown year over year, the city's average sits at 24.7 per cent, meaning roughly three-quarters of eligible residents choose not to vote in a municipal election.

Candidates have been looking to change those numbers through their campaigns across various outlets, including in-person, in the community and across social media.

In 2018, Port Coquitlam saw a 28.1 per cent voter turnout with just under 12,000 people casting a ballot.

On Saturday, PoCo will only be voting for its next six city councillors after Brad West was acclaimed as mayor at the Sept. 9 nomination deadline, as well as school trustees Christine Pollock and Michael Thomas.

There will be nine places to cast a ballot, including seven schools:

Election Day polling stations