Provincial election day is June 2, and with the pandemic raging on, Elections Ontario says it aims to make the voting process as safe and streamlined as possible by providing more opportunities to vote at advance polls.
“What we’re offering in this election is more ways, more channels, more opportunity to vote,” said Greg Essensa, Ontario’s chief electoral officer.
Election day is just six weeks away and Elections Ontario is asking you to get your voting ducks in a row and make sure your information is up to date on the Elections Ontario website.
“If we have that, once the writs have been issued in May, we can send them the all-important voter information card. And once they have that card, they know all of their options to vote, they know their advance polls, polling day,” Essensa said.
“And when they show up at the poll with that card and their one piece of identification, their voting process is easy. So we really encourage that.”
New this election will be 10 days of advance voting. That’s something that Kingstonians say will make it easier for them to cast their ballots.
“I usually just vote normally on election day, but I will take advantage of it because of my health and my age,” said Kingston voter Sam Smith.
“I might beat the lines and just get it done and over with,” said another voter, Taylor Diepeveen.
Along with five extra days to vote, Elections Ontario is also introducing a mobile app that will provide information about candidates and polling dates and station locations.
“They’ll have the ability to see all their voting locations once they’re finalized. It’ll map it from where they are, which is the closest one, what the directions are, and they will be able to use what we call an electronic voter information card. They can use that as a form of I.D.”
Elections Ontario will accommodate those who are housebound or unable to make the voting window work.
“If someone has some disability or is incapable of coming to the poll, we’ll actually come to their home. As well, we have a special ballot program that literally, the day after the writs are signed on May 5, an individual can come into their local returning office and they can vote right up to June 1,” Essensa said.
Elections Ontario says just over 57 per cent of Ontarians voted in the last election.