Rural communities worry postal disruption may impact elections

OTTAWA — Rural communities and a federal MP are raising concerns about the impact a potential work stoppage at Canada Post could have on Ontario’s municipal elections.

The Crown corporation and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers extended their contract negotiations beyond an early-Wednesday deadline for a strike or lockout, providing some hope that new deals can be struck without a service disruption.

But in the absence of agreements, small communities that rely on mail-in ballots for the Oct. 22 vote said they were looking for alternative ways for constituents to exercise their civic duty.

Brock Township has informed voters not to mail their ballots until there’s confirmation a strike or lockout will be avoided.

“We are encouraging people to just hold onto their (election) kit until there’s some direction, one way or the other, from Canada Post,” Tom Gettin by, the township’s clerk and chief administrative officer, told The Canadian Press.

And while the township is encouraging local voters to drop off their completed ballots to municipal offices in the event of job action at Canada Post, many eligible electors are part-time residents who live and work in Toronto for much of the year.

Conservative MP Cheryl Gallant, who represents the rural Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke riding northwest of Ottawa, said she has heard from several isolated municipalities worried about how a Canada Post shutdown will affect their mail-in votes.

“A Canada Post strike during the Ontario municipal elections will result in Canadians being deprived of their say in the election,” Gallant wrote on her website.

“Online voting was not an option due to absence of internet coverage in these rural areas.”