West Nipissing has assured mail-in voting remains an option for residents casting their ballot in the municipal election this fall.
Voting by mail is not new for the municipality, having used the method since 2003. However, each year a by-law must be passed to allow the practice to continue.
And it will, as council voted to continue with mail-in voting during their January 18th council meeting.
In November, council considered their options for the upcoming elections, and bandied about the possibility of allowing electronic voting as well.
That idea was put to pasture, and the mail-in option reigned supreme.
See: West Nipissing considers electronic voting, maintains status-quo
The by-law notes the decision to continue with mail-in ballots is “appropriate and in the public interest.”
Councillor Lise Senecal brought up the possibility of deferring the vote on the by-law, noting that soon council would most likely consider holding a by-election to fill a vacant council seat, and felt the two issues aligned.
“The ministry was very strong in saying that we need to do everything we can to replace the council seat,” Senecal said, referring to a recent visit from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs who urged West Nipissing council to fill a council position that has been vacant over a year.
See: Council split on replacing vacant seat in West Nipissing
See: Ministry makes a house call to West Nipissing council
Municipal staff frowned upon delaying the vote.
“This should have been done in December,” municipal clerk Melanie Ducharme mentioned to council, noting word had to be sent out to suppliers to order ballots, equipment, and other necessary materials for the municipal election.
“This legislation needed to be passed in 2021,” added Jay Barbeau, the municipality’s chief administrative officer.
“I think the discussion about filling a vacancy and how you hold the election” in the fall, Barbeau said, “are two different issues,” and council “wouldn’t be able to intertwine those anyway.”
Senecal also asked “if we do hold a by-election” to fill the vacant seat would the municipality be able to conduct it via mail-in voting?
That would not be an option, staff informed council, and Barbeau noted that if a by-election is called, it must take place by March 31st, 2022. Otherwise, council will have to appoint a new member.
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
