The mail-in ballot plus two-voting station system being used for the Oct. 17 municipal election is a new effort by the city to offer residents more options to cast a ballot, Mayor Rebecca Alty says.
With nominations closing on Sept. 19, AltySA国际影视传媒檚 bid for a second term in office will go unchallenged.
However, there will be 16 candidates vying for eight council positions.
Alty said in a recent interview that the decision for this yearSA国际影视传媒檚 voting setup is granted to returning officer Debbie Gillard through councilSA国际影视传媒檚 approval of the Local Election Authorities Act.
SA国际影视传媒淭he decision was made, in part, due to Covid and making sure that in case any restrictions return this fall that the election could run smoothly,SA国际影视传媒� the mayor explained. SA国际影视传媒淭he difference with mail-in ballot versus previous elections is that the city is automatically sending a ballot to all eligible voters.
SA国际影视传媒淚n the past, voters would have to request paperwork for a mail-in ballot, then complete it and send it back. Then the city would send them a ballot and the voter would have to send it back.
SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檝e removed a lot of steps from the process to make it easier.SA国际影视传媒�
Beyond mailing in a ballot or dropping it off at city hall ahead of voting day, there will also be options to cast a ballot at what the city calls SA国际影视传媒渧oter assistance locationsSA国际影视传媒� at the Tree of Peace and the Multiplex gym on election day between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.
These are different from polling stations where residents would be assigned to visit to cast a ballot in previous elections, she said.
Alty said she feels the new process is positive and will offer more voting options for residents compared to the federal election in 2021, when people had to request a mail-in ballot from the federal government if they wanted to exercise their democratic duty ahead of voting day.
SA国际影视传媒淚 like it because it increases the opportunity,SA国际影视传媒� the mayor said. SA国际影视传媒淲ith the federal election last year, if you didnSA国际影视传媒檛 request the mail-in ballot and didnSA国际影视传媒檛 send the paperwork in to get the feds to send (the ballot) to you, a lot of people who ended up sick on election day couldnSA国际影视传媒檛 vote.SA国际影视传媒�
Saving money
Beyond being Covid-safe, the city stated in an email this week that the mail-in ballot process allows more accessibility to vote for residents as they can cast a ballot through their mailboxes or by drop it off at city hall at any hour of the day.
The process is also cheaper and easier to manage.
SA国际影视传媒淭he cost of mail-out ballots comes in slightly less than costs for a SA国际影视传媒榬egularSA国际影视传媒� election given the city is not hiring 75 election staff or operating seven voting stations,SA国际影视传媒� city communications officer Richard McIntosh stated in an email on Sept. 20. SA国际影视传媒淔ewer staff are needed (and) hiring election staff has been a challenge over the past two elections (not including the referendum).
Mail-in ballots are expected to be in residentsSA国际影视传媒� mailboxes the first week of October.
All ballots have to be received by the city by Oct. 17 at 7 p.m.
Beyond mailing in a ballot or dropping off at city hall ahead of voting day, there will also be options to cast a ballot at what the city calls SA国际影视传媒渧oter assistance locationsSA国际影视传媒� on election night at the Tree of Peace and the Multiplex Gym between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.
These are different from polling stations where residents would be assigned to visit to cast a ballot in previous elections, she said.
Mixed reaction
Some council candidates over the last week expressed mixed reaction to the new voting arrangement.
Incumbent councillor Steve Payne, who is running for a third term, said he isnSA国际影视传媒檛 entirely against the idea of the new system because it could be beneficial for people who are immunocompromised or who donSA国际影视传媒檛 feel comfortable casting a ballot in public.
He said heSA国际影视传媒檚 also willing to give the new method a chance, but heSA国际影视传媒檚 concerned it could result in fewer people participating.
SA国际影视传媒淚 think we will have reduced numbers in voting, personally,SA国际影视传媒� Payne said. SA国际影视传媒淚 know there will be a couple of sites to go to vote and I think they (volunteers at the voting station) will be busy.SA国际影视传媒�
Payne said he doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 buy that there should be concern about Covid-19, either.
SA国际影视传媒淐ovid is done. So I think the longer we keep (the idea of) it around, I think the organizations use it as an excuse now,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淲e donSA国际影视传媒檛 have any state of emergency or heath emergency, so in my mind we should continue and live a normal life.SA国际影视传媒�
If there were a state of emergency, it would make sense that precautions be implemented, he added.
He added that he doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 plan on taking special health precautions when canvassing and expects to be engaging with the public as per normal over the coming weeks.
New candidate Rob Foote said that he favours the traditional routine of people heading to polling stations to vote but added that he understands the citySA国际影视传媒檚 logic in introducing the new process in advance of any possible Covid-19 disruptions.
SA国际影视传媒淭o some degree this model has been used already, as early or proxy voters have have used mail in the past,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚f anything it might improve voter turnout because of convenience to those who have community mail boxes, but might limit responses from those living in multi-family dwellings who would still need to post their ballot at a drop box.SA国际影视传媒�
Foote said heSA国际影视传媒檚 concerned that the new process doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 address voter registration so that people can actually get a ballot.
SA国际影视传媒淢any people I have talked to erroneously assume that they are registered already through their most recent tax return,SA国际影视传媒� he said.
SA国际影视传媒楢dded a barrierSA国际影视传媒�
Council candidate Devon Hodder said with the 2018 Yellowknife election having a 56 per cent voter turnout, the city should do everything it can make it easier to vote.
SA国际影视传媒淲hile I donSA国际影视传媒檛 see anything inherently wrong with offering mail-in ballots as an option, by reducing the number of voter assistance locations, the city has added a barrier to participating in the democratic process,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚deally, I would like to see more modern solutions put in place, such as online voting. This would need to have strong controls in place to protect the integrity of the election, of course.SA国际影视传媒�
Candidate Rob Warburton said that he also supports any effort to make the voting process simpler, more transparent and accessible, though there could be some more clarity on the use of terms for polling stations.
SA国际影视传媒淭his election will have two voter assistance stations and the focus appears to be having folks to do mail-in ballots,SA国际影视传媒� he said in an email on Sept. 13. SA国际影视传媒淚 believe in expanding the voting options, so seeing the city include mail-in ballots is a great start. I do think though it is confusing to refer to these as voter assistance stations instead of simply as polling stations.
SA国际影视传媒淚t really is functioning as a polling station and changing this standard election language is confusing.SA国际影视传媒�
Voters are urged to ensure they are on the voters list with the correct address by Sept. 22.
Whether voting in-person or by mail, all ballots have to be received by the city by Oct. 17 at 7 p.m.
