{"id":38064,"date":"2025-04-14T10:00:33","date_gmt":"2025-04-14T17:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/?p=38064"},"modified":"2025-08-14T10:56:41","modified_gmt":"2025-08-14T17:56:41","slug":"minority-rules-a-retroactive-by-election-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/2025\/04\/14\/minority-rules-a-retroactive-by-election-game\/","title":{"rendered":"Minority Rules: A Retroactive By-Election Game"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"p1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/spacingmedia.com\/spacingvancouver\/wp-content\/uploads\/features\/indepth_feature-VAN.gif\" width=\"600\" height=\"72\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">With Vancouver\u2019s by-election behind us, the post-mortems have begun\u2014and this one might be more fun than most. One thing was clear: voters wanted to send ABC a message. Throughout the campaign, I had countless conversations with friends, family, and acquaintances about their voting intentions. Now that the results are in, a couple of questions linger:<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">Can we evaluate the outcome of voters\u2019 decisions? Can we determine whether we got it \u201cright\u201d or \u201cwrong\u201d?<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">Most would balk at the idea. But few things delight me more than a good statistical puzzle and a little light political game theory. So, join me in a playful exercise I\u2019m calling <i>The Retroactive By-Election Game<\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>The Context<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">In a city where <em>ABC<\/em> controls seven of eleven council seats\u2014and votes together with machine-like consistency\u2014politics can feel less like a debate and more like a rubber stamp. Add in two more councillors who mostly align with <em>ABC<\/em>, and Council rarely strays from the script. There\u2019s little suspense about how most votes will go. Just the rhythm of consensus.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">But this spring, two council seats opened up. And while that wasn\u2019t enough to shift control, it did offer a chance to reshape what that control looks like. These seats became the site of a quieter political battle\u2014not for power, but to challenge it. Voters frustrated by a lack of diverse perspectives wanted to send a message. The question became: how?<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>The Game<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">To understand what was at stake, let\u2019s lay out the council like a board game. Using the <em><a href=\"https:\/\/cityhallwatch.wordpress.com\/2025\/03\/25\/vancouver-april5-byelection-candidate-party-table\/\">CityHallWatch Scorecard<\/a><\/em> as a proxy for overall alignment, we can sketch each group&#8217;s voting patterns based on past performance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p5\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Rules of the Game:<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span class=\"s1\">11 council seats total<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"s1\">2 seats up for grabs<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"s1\"><strong>ABC (7 seats)<\/strong>: votes in 100% agreement<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"s1\"><strong>Independent (1 seat)<\/strong>: agrees with <em>ABC<\/em> 6 out of 7 times<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"s1\"><strong>Green (1 seat)<\/strong>: agrees with <em>ABC<\/em> 5 out of 7 times, with one wildcard issue<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">Under ABC, council hasn\u2019t just been majoritarian\u2014it\u2019s been monotonous. Their voting unity and soft-aligned allies leave little room for dissent. Two new seats won\u2019t flip the balance, but they might introduce a subplot.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Meet the Candidates<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">Five alternatives ran against ABC\u2019s two loyalists. Their estimated alignment with <em>ABC<\/em> is based on the <em><a href=\"https:\/\/cityhallwatch.wordpress.com\/2025\/03\/25\/vancouver-april5-byelection-candidate-party-table\/\">CityHallWatch Scorecard<\/a><\/em> and broader political positioning:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li2\"><b><\/b><span class=\"s1\"><b>Green<\/b>: 5\/7 agreement, 1 unknown<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li2\"><b><\/b><span class=\"s1\"><b>OneCity<\/b>: 6\/7 agreement<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li2\"><b><\/b><span class=\"s1\"><b>COPE<\/b>: 3\/7 agreement, 2 unknown, 2 firm disagreements<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li2\"><b><\/b><span class=\"s1\"><b>TEAM (2 candidates)<\/b>: 0\/7 agreement\u2014complete opposition, one with four years of prior council experience<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">If voters wanted to disrupt the <em>ABC<\/em> bloc, they likely looked beyond <em>ABC<\/em>\u2019s own slate. But that raised the tougher question: <i>what kind of disruption did they want?<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Scenarios in Strategy<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">Let\u2019s play it out. Depending on which two candidates were elected, the results could range from symbolic protest to strategic interference. Here are five plausible scenarios:<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p5\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Scenario A: TEAM + TEAM (experienced)<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p5\" style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><span class=\"s1\">Two full-throated dissenters.<br \/>\n<b>Alignment with ABC<\/b>: 0%<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li2\"><b><\/b><span class=\"s1\"><b>Pros<\/b>: Sends the clearest message of discontent<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li2\"><b><\/b><span class=\"s1\"><b>Cons<\/b>: Risks of being dismissed as combative or fringe<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li2\"><b><\/b><span class=\"s1\"><b>Influence<\/b>: Minimal\u2014loud, but easily ignored<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p5\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Scenario B: TEAM (experienced) + COPE<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\" style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><span class=\"s1\">A mix of principled opposition and unpredictable challenge<br \/>\n<b>Alignment with ABC<\/b>: ~30%<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li2\"><b><\/b><span class=\"s1\"><b>Pros<\/b>: Tactical flexibility; potential for surprise coalitions<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li2\"><b><\/b><span class=\"s1\"><b>Cons<\/b>: May frustrate voters looking for ideological purity<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li2\"><b><\/b><span class=\"s1\"><b>Influence<\/b>: High potential for disruption and debate<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p5\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Scenario C: TEAM (experienced) + Green<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\" style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><span class=\"s1\">Opposition with a side of moderation<br \/>\n<b>Alignment with ABC<\/b>: ~35%<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li2\"><b><\/b><span class=\"s1\"><b>Pros<\/b>: Broader appeal across the political spectrum<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li2\"><b><\/b><span class=\"s1\"><b>Cons<\/b>: Green likely to vote with ABC on most issues<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li2\"><b><\/b><span class=\"s1\"><b>Influence<\/b>: Somewhat limited<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p5\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Scenario D: Green + OneCity<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\" style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><span class=\"s1\">Soft allies of ABC<br \/>\n<b>Alignment with ABC<\/b>: ~80%<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li2\"><b><\/b><span class=\"s1\"><b>Pros<\/b>: Safe, palatable choices<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li2\"><b><\/b><span class=\"s1\"><b>Cons<\/b>: Undermines any intent to disrupt<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li2\"><b><\/b><span class=\"s1\"><b>Influence<\/b>: Reinforces the status quo<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p5\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Scenario E: OneCity + COPE<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\" style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><span class=\"s1\">Cautious alignment paired with volatility<br \/>\n<b>Alignment with ABC<\/b>: ~65%<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li2\"><b><\/b><span class=\"s1\"><b>Pros<\/b>: COPE shakes things up; OneCity keeps access<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li2\"><b><\/b><span class=\"s1\"><b>Cons<\/b>: OneCity may blunt COPE\u2019s impact<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li2\"><b><\/b><span class=\"s1\"><b>Influence<\/b>: Mixed\u2014could spark debate, or blend into consensus<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Opposition as Strategy<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">In council politics, the ability to steer conversation often outweighs the ability to win votes. The TEAM candidate with council experience brings more than dissent\u2014they bring procedural know-how. That knowledge can delay motions, force debate, or reframe issues\u2014turning a powerless minority into a strategic force.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">Pair them with someone like COPE, and you get more than just opposition\u2014you get tension. The kind that demands answers, invites public scrutiny, and disrupts the rhythm of consensus.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">This isn\u2019t revolution. It\u2019s redirection. Voters weren\u2019t electing a majority\u2014they were choosing the shape of resistance. Did they want a loud protest? Quiet challenge? A little of both? Ideological clarity or strategic mischief?<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">Two seats won\u2019t change <i>who<\/i> holds power. But they might change <i>how<\/i> that power operates. And in a city growing restless with uniformity, that may be enough.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p4\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Lessons Learned<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">Sure, this is a speculative, geeky thought experiment\u2014but it raises some valuable reflections. If the goal was to disrupt <em>ABC<\/em>\u2019s monopoly, <b>Scenario B<\/b>\u2014<em>COPE<\/em> and <em>TEAM (experienced)<\/em>\u2014offered the sharpest strategic choice.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">Instead, voters chose <em>COPE<\/em> and <em>OneCity<\/em>\u2014a mix with potential, but a higher likelihood of aligning with <em>ABC<\/em>. Depending on how those parties behave, the message voters intended to send may resonate\u2014or dissolve into quiet consensus.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">Of course, voters don\u2019t always cast ballots based on strategy. Some vote along party lines, some for individuals. Many rely on intuition, impression, or habit. Few have the time\u2014or desire\u2014to game out procedural leverage or vote-splitting.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">Still, this kind of post-election puzzle invites some pressing questions:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li2\"><span class=\"s1\">What does effective opposition look like in a supermajority?<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li2\"><span class=\"s1\">Is ideological clarity more valuable than strategic ambiguity?<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li2\"><span class=\"s1\">Can a minority ever really \u201cwin\u201d\u2014and what does winning mean?<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li2\"><span class=\"s1\">Does this outcome reveal a deeper issue: that many voters don\u2019t understand how local governance works?<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li2\"><span class=\"s1\">If so, why do decisions that most directly affect our lives\u2014on housing, infrastructure, zoning\u2014receive the least scrutiny?<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li2\"><span class=\"s1\">What happens when civic discourse, education, and media coverage turn away from the city scale?<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li2\"><span class=\"s1\">How can voters send meaningful political messages if they don\u2019t understand the system?<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li2\"><span class=\"s1\">Where does civic education fit in a world growing more complex?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">These are weighty questions\u2014and they deserve more space in post\u2013by-election conversations. This wasn\u2019t just about two seats. It was a test of how we define resistance inside a dominant system. And that question feels more urgent than ever.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">Voters may have sent a message. But are those in power listening? Or, more provocatively: did voters send a clear message at all?<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">Maybe <i>that\u2019s<\/i> Vancouver\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/2025\/03\/24\/the-governance-gap\/\">governance gap<\/a>\u2014not just the divide between power and people, but the silence in between.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>***<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"s1\"><b><i>Erick Villagomez<\/i><\/b><i> is the Editor-in-Chief at Spacing Vancouver and teaches at UBC\u2019s School of Community and Regional Planning. He is also the author of <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/settlement\/\">The Laws of Settlements: 54 Laws Underlying Settlements Across Scale and Culture<\/a><i>.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With Vancouver\u2019s by-election behind us, the post-mortems have begun\u2014and this one might be more fun than most. One thing was clear: voters wanted to send ABC a message. Throughout the campaign, I had countless conversations with friends, family, and acquaintances about their voting intentions. Now that the results are in, a couple of questions linger:<a href=\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/2025\/04\/14\/minority-rules-a-retroactive-by-election-game\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"sr-only\">&#8220;Minority Rules: A Retroactive By-Election Game&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6004,"featured_media":38068,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11232,6670],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38064","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","category-politics"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Minority Rules: A Retroactive By-Election Game - Spacing Vancouver<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/2025\/04\/14\/minority-rules-a-retroactive-by-election-game\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Minority Rules: A Retroactive By-Election Game - Spacing Vancouver\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"With Vancouver\u2019s by-election behind us, the post-mortems have begun\u2014and this one might be more fun than most. One thing was clear: voters wanted to send ABC a message. Throughout the campaign, I had countless conversations with friends, family, and acquaintances about their voting intentions. Now that the results are in, a couple of questions linger:Continue reading &quot;Minority Rules: A Retroactive By-Election Game&quot;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/2025\/04\/14\/minority-rules-a-retroactive-by-election-game\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Spacing Vancouver\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-04-14T17:00:33+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-08-14T17:56:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/04\/MinorityRules_Headline.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Erick Villagomez\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Spacing\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Spacing\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Erick Villagomez\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/2025\/04\/14\/minority-rules-a-retroactive-by-election-game\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/2025\/04\/14\/minority-rules-a-retroactive-by-election-game\/\",\"name\":\"Minority Rules: A Retroactive By-Election Game - Spacing Vancouver\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/2025\/04\/14\/minority-rules-a-retroactive-by-election-game\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/2025\/04\/14\/minority-rules-a-retroactive-by-election-game\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/04\/MinorityRules_Headline.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-04-14T17:00:33+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-08-14T17:56:41+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/#\/schema\/person\/0b341199f07f5a317998ac7dcfa73204\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/2025\/04\/14\/minority-rules-a-retroactive-by-election-game\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/2025\/04\/14\/minority-rules-a-retroactive-by-election-game\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/2025\/04\/14\/minority-rules-a-retroactive-by-election-game\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/04\/MinorityRules_Headline.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/04\/MinorityRules_Headline.jpg\",\"width\":600,\"height\":400},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/2025\/04\/14\/minority-rules-a-retroactive-by-election-game\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Minority Rules: A Retroactive By-Election Game\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/\",\"name\":\"Spacing Vancouver\",\"description\":\"Canadian Urbanism Uncovered  |  Vancouver Architecture, Urban Design, Public Transit, City Hall, Parks, Walking, Bikes, Streetscape, History, Waterfront, Maps, Public Spaces\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/#\/schema\/person\/0b341199f07f5a317998ac7dcfa73204\",\"name\":\"Erick Villagomez\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/494ee17d0cbe65ff159dc2f34d0c2feb?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/494ee17d0cbe65ff159dc2f34d0c2feb?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Erick Villagomez\"},\"description\":\"Erick Villagomez is the Editor-in-Chief at Spacing Vancouver and teaches at UBC\u2019s School of Community and Regional Planning. He is also the author of The Laws of Settlements: 54 Laws Underlying Settlements Across Scale and Culture. His private practice - Metis Design|Build (http:\/\/metisdb.com\/) - is an innovative practice dedicated to a collaborative and ecologically responsible approach to the design and construction of places.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/e_vill1\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/author\/erick\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Minority Rules: A Retroactive By-Election Game - Spacing Vancouver","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/2025\/04\/14\/minority-rules-a-retroactive-by-election-game\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Minority Rules: A Retroactive By-Election Game - Spacing Vancouver","og_description":"With Vancouver\u2019s by-election behind us, the post-mortems have begun\u2014and this one might be more fun than most. One thing was clear: voters wanted to send ABC a message. Throughout the campaign, I had countless conversations with friends, family, and acquaintances about their voting intentions. 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He is also the author of The Laws of Settlements: 54 Laws Underlying Settlements Across Scale and Culture. 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