ERIN – Town council has decided to use a vote-by-mail method for the 2026 municipal election.
Staff presented a report to council on Sept. 25 outlining the various voting methods at council’s disposal.
Staff recommended option D, which would see a hybrid approach, but this suggestion was rejected by council.
“The vote by mail has become an ingrained process in the town,” said councillor John Brennan.
He expressed concern with staff’s recommendation, which would see all voters registered for in-person voting by default and voting by mail offered as an alternative option by request.
“That one scares me, it scares me a lot,” said Brennan.
“I really just shudder to think about what will happen because people are accustomed to receiving it, not having to request it.”
“I see nothing but disaster if … they have to request it.”
Councillor Cathy Aylard also supported the vote-by-mail option, citing fiscal responsibility and the importance of a user-friendly experience.
Staff’s suggestion would have carried a cost of $239,564, while the vote-by-mail option will carry a price tag of $169,793.
Aylard also mentioned the flexibility of voting by mail, which allows those with odd working hours and busy schedules an easier way to vote.
Councillors Bridget Ryan and Jamie Cheyne also expressed support for voting by mail, citing elevated costs for the hybrid option as well as the “public expectation to vote by mail.”
Mayor Michael Dehn was the “odd ball out,” favouring the hybrid voting method.
“I’m a big supporter of the hybrid model just because all of the federal and provincial elections are ballots,” said Dehn.
“I do feel that there is a certain age group that prefers to do in-person voting, which we have a large population of.
“I do not like the price. I totally agree that the expense is there.”
With voting by mail, the threat of a postal strike is always prevalent, but Brennan said he isn’t that concerned.
“If there was a labour disruption at the post office I think the federal government would, at the urging of the provincial government, be very quick to put in place some mitigating process so that the election could take place with integrity,” said Brennan.
Council voted unanimously in favour of option A, voting by mail.
