The Ego of the Powers That Be
Know Who You Are Electing
Winnipeg voters will elect their mayor, councillors and school trustees on Wednesday, October 28, 2026.
An election is more than a contest between personalities. It is a public decision about who will be trusted with our money, services, neighbourhoods and collective authority.
Before we vote, we should remember one essential truth:
A public position is not a throne. It is a responsibility entrusted by the people.
Where Does Political Power Come From?
Governments do not create their own authority. The people provide it.
Residents vote. Workers maintain the city. Taxpayers fund public institutions. Families build communities. Local businesses contribute employment and services. Volunteers, caregivers, educators and advocates respond to needs that governments do not always see.
Elected officials receive temporary authority to represent these people. Winning an election does not make someone more valuable than the population they serve.
Leadership should create responsibility—not superiority.
Enter the INK Convention
In our comic, the three central Inkfluence of Art characters organize a public-awareness convention to help people make educated voting decisions.
J for Justice: Remember Who Holds the Power
J reminds visitors that public office belongs to the public.
Candidates may campaign for authority, but voters lend that authority to them. Once elected, officials should be prepared to explain their decisions, disclose possible conflicts, protect public resources and report the results of their work.
Success should create gratitude. Leadership should create accountability.
IN‑Vesta: Follow the Record
IN‑Vesta asks voters to look beyond campaign performance and investigate the information available.
Before selecting a candidate, consider:
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What is their public record?
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Do their actions match their promises?
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Who supports or funds their campaign?
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Have they disclosed possible conflicts of interest?
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How have they behaved toward residents and colleagues?
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Who will benefit from their proposed decisions?
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Are their claims supported by reliable sources and proper context?
A slogan tells us what a candidate wants us to remember. A record helps us understand what that person may actually do.
Do not vote for the loudest story. Check the record behind it.
Pixi‑INK: People Create the Community
Pixi‑INK reminds the convention that human value cannot be measured only through money, titles or influence.
Carpenters build. Farmers grow. Artists create. Mechanics repair. Teachers share knowledge. Caregivers protect human life.
Our abilities make society possible long before a price is attached to them.
Industry and government should serve human life—not demand that human life exist only to serve industry and government.
The Educated Selection
Voting ethically does not mean that every voter must agree. It means making a sincere effort to understand the responsibilities of the position and the people asking to hold it.
Ask each candidate:
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Do they listen to the people affected by their decisions?
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Do their actions match their words?
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Who funds and influences them?
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How will they measure and publicly report their results?
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Will they serve the entire community, including people who did not vote for them?
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Do they treat public authority as a responsibility or a personal reward?
We are not hiring performers to appear powerful.
We are selecting public servants to carry public responsibility.
The People Are the Economy
We often describe wealthy industrialists, corporations and political leaders as though they created society by themselves. But no large position of wealth or authority exists without the participation of other people.
Workers provide labour. Customers provide revenue. Taxpayers provide public funding. Voters provide political authority. Communities provide the environment in which success becomes possible.
There is nothing inherently wrong with financial or political success. The danger begins when success becomes an excuse for entitlement, manipulation or the belief that one person is worth more than another.
The people are not beneath the economy. The people are the economy.
Before You Mark Your Ballot
Learn who is running in your ward. Read more than campaign advertising. Compare candidates using the same questions and standards. Look for complete statements, credible records and practical commitments.
Your vote is private. Your selection belongs to you.
Make it thoughtfully.
Vote ethically.
Vote with an educated selection.
Know your candidate choice.
The people were never without value.
They were never without abilities.
They were never without power.
The power begins with the people.
Official Winnipeg election and voting information:
winnipeg.ca/election2026
Inkfluence of Art | Awareness Through Independent Thought
#INK — No One Left Behind
© Inkfluence of Art 2026