Fewer advance polls, but speedier voting promised
Voters will have fewer places to vote in advance polls for Ontario’s 2018 election, but Election Ontario says new technology will speed voting and cut lineups on election day, June 7.
Some electoral districts will have fewer than half the number of locations for advanced polls, part of a revamping of the election that also added 17 new seats to the legislature.
Ottawa Centre, for example, will have four advance-poll locations, down from 11 in 2014. Ottawa West-Nepean goes from eight to four advance poll locations.
Larger, rural ridings have more advance polls: 11 in Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston, for example, and nine in sprawling Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke.
The change is part of an overall adjustment, said Cara Des Granges, a spokeswoman for Elections Ontario.
“It’s not just Ottawa, it’s a provincewide thing,” Des Granges said. “We’re implementing new technology that is addressing some of the needs. It’s going to be a lot faster to vote, especially at advance polls.”
New Voter Information Cards that will be sent by mail will be electronically scanned at the poll, meaning there is no waiting while staff find your name and manually cross it off the list. Electronic vote tabulators will speed vote counts.
But at least one local candidate, New Democrat Joel Harden in Ottawa Centre, has complained about the shortage of advance polls and their locations, which he says favours people with cars and shortchanges voters in the south-end of the riding.
Carleton Heights was the site of an advance poll in 2014, but in 2018 the nearest advance polls are at Dovercourt in Westboro and Brewer Park.
“The cutback in the number of polling stations is something everyone should be concerned about, Harden said in a news release earlier this week. “Voting is a basic right. Why is Elections Ontario making voting more difficult in Ottawa Centre?”
Carleton Heights was not an NDP stronghold in 2014. Of the 314 advance ballots collected there, 145 were for Liberal Yasir Naqvi, the eventual winner, 127 were for Conservative Rob Dekker while Jennifer McKenzie of the NDP received 30.
Those unable to vote in person on June 7 or at an advance poll, can also vote by mail after registering with Elections Ontario for a special ballot. There are also provisions for voting while in hospital, for students who are away from home as well as assistance for people with disabilities. Details can be found on the Elections Ontario website, elections.on.ca, under “How to Vote.”