Expanded municipal election gives voters more time and options

The pandemic has turned Montreal's municipal election this year into a four-day affair, with the option of mail-in voting for people required to self-isolate, and residents of nursing homes.

Normally, municipal elections in Montreal and across Quebec are held on the first Sunday of November every four years. But this year, election “day” is actually election “days.” The province has declared it a two-day election to take place on Saturday, Nov. 6, and Sunday, Nov. 7.

The city's elections office, Élections Montreal, says it will provide 460 sites where voters will be able to cast their ballots between 9:30 a.m. and 8 p.m. on both days.

Advance polling will be open the weekend before on Oct. 30 and Oct. 31, between 9:30 a.m. and 8 p.m. Élections Montreal says it will offer 240 voting sites across the city.

Voters will have 42 hours to cast ballots over the four days. In 2017, polling stations were open for 18 hours.

Élections Montreal also says it has never offered so many voting sites before.

Mail-in voting is an option for residents of 311 recognized private seniors' residences and longterm care facilities, people who are unable to travel for health reasons and caregivers residing with them and those who are required by public-health authorities to self-isolate because of COVID-19. To apply to cast a ballot by mail, eligible voters must fill out a form on Élections Montreal's website or phone 514-872-VOTE (8683).

Earlier this year, the outgoing administration of mayoral incumbent Valérie Plante and her Projet Montréal party rejected a proposal by opposition Ensemble Montréal to allow seniors living independently at home to also participate in mail-in voting. The Plante administration said expanded mail-in voting would be too complicated to implement in time for the election.

Montreal's election office has a budget of $22.2 million to manage this year's vote.

Voter turnout in 2017 was 42.5 per cent.

Other key dates:

■ The voter list revision period: Oct. 12 to Oct. 18

■ Deadline for nursing home residents and people unable to travel for health reasons to request mailin voting: Oct. 27

■ Period for eligible voters who are self-isolating because of COVID -19 to request mail-in voting: Oct. 17 to Oct. 27

■ Deadline for the city to receive mail-in ballots: Nov. 5 at 4:30 p.m.