HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2013-12-12, Page 28Huron East Council will be
working alongside Central Huron to
investigate telephone and internet
voting options for next year’s
municipal election.
In a presentation at council’s Dec.
3 meeting, Chief Administrative
Officer Brad Knight suggested that
council partner with Central Huron
Council in the request for proposals
(RFP) process in an effort to
improve the municipality’s voter
turnout.
In the 2010 election, Knight
reported, Huron East’s 37 per cent
voter turnout was the lowest in
Huron County, despite the fact that
all positions, with the exception of
the McKillop Ward, were contested.
In his report, Knight said that
municipalities that have yet to
include any voting methods aside
from traditional ballot box voting
have been experiencing lower voter
turnout than those that have
expanded.
He told councillors that when
neighbouring municipalities brought
in mail-in voting, turnout had not
increased. Given how technology
has advanced, he said, it made sense
to investigate phone and internet
voting.
Knight told councillors that while
costs may increase slightly in 2014
for the set-up of alternate voting
methods, it is unlikely costs would
rise on an election-to-election basis.
Traditional ballot box voting has
become increasingly difficult in
recent years, Knight said, with
accessibility issues at some of the
municipality’s voting sites.
He told council that because of the
work Central Huron has put into the
project, this would be a perfect
chance for Huron East to “take
advantage” of how far along their
neighbouring municipality is.
Because next year’s election is
rapidly approaching, Knight told
councillors that if changes were to
be made, they would have to be
made soon.
Council approved Knight’s
recommendation to join Central
Huron in the RFP process.
Not to toot their own horns
Joseph Pizzati, left, and Ethan Scrimgeour are two of the members of the hard working Hullett
Central Public School band, which was practising on Dec. 3. (Denny Scott photo)
PAGE 28. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2013.
New voting methods
possible in Huron East
Retirement life to discover!