Despite an ardent objection from one councillor, Guelph-Eramosa will be using a vote-by-mail system in next fall’s municipal election.
“It’s a disaster. I hate it,” councillor Doug Breen said on Monday night of the mail-in ballots.
“I don’t think its secure and I don’t think it’s private … I don’t like this at all.”
Councillor John Scott explained that late last month the township’s strategic planning and economic development committee recommended the township use mail-in ballots as an alternative voting method for the election on Oct. 27, 2014.
“We thought this through at the [committee] meeting,” said Scott.
On Dec. 2 clerk Meaghen Reid presented a report that explained Guelph-Eramosa had the lowest voter turnout in the county in 2010, at 29 per cent.
Reid stated in her report, “Staff are hopeful that voter engagement is impacted by vote by mail and voters who have not previously voted due to accessibility issues, work schedules and other factors are able to participate in the 2014 municipal election due to the convenience of vote by mail.”
Other benefits of the mail-in ballots, in addition to convenience, highlighted by Reid included:
– avoiding confusion about where to vote;
– removing any possible impact of inclement weather;
– eliminating need for advance polls and proxy voting; and
– the possibility of sharing advertising, communications, expertise and other resources with other municipalities using the mail-in system.
But Breen, who said he is a “Luddite” when it comes to the issue, stressed he much prefers traditional, in-person voting.
“It’s secret, it’s secure and it’s simple,” he said. “The more complicated you make it, the more opportunity there is to manipulate it.”
He said with mail-in ballots there is no guarantee people will not fill out more than one ballot and no way to ensure the person filling out the ballot is who they say the are.
Mayor Chris White said there is a provision on the mail-in ballots ensuring voters confirm their identity. He added he once shared Breen’s disdain for mail-in voting but many of the problems with the format have been resolved.
“All in, it was generally felt that it was worth looking at again,” White said.
The mayor acknowledged the mail-in system is not perfect, but it does make voting easier for people.
Councillor Corey Woods said he would prefer online voting over mail-in ballots, but if using the latter there still must be place to drop off ballots in person.
Reid confirmed there will be two “election centres” open on election night – one in Marden and one at the municipal office in Brucedale.
A motion approving the vote-by-mail method for next year was approved by council, with only Breen opposed.
