WIth the recent addition of Queen Elizabeth II Public School at 32 Dell St., the city has finalized its list of voting stations for the Oct. 24 civic election.
This recent addition was important to the Flour Mill/Donovon/Cambrian Heights neighbourhood, said Ward 12 Coun. Joscelyne Landry-Altmann, who advocated for the voting station’s addition.
Although reluctant to say the neighbourhoods are now well-served by voting stations, she said, “it has been improved upon.”
“We have a more accessible location dealing with neighbourhoods that have been identified … as having residents with the least amount of cars,” she said.
“We have a lot of pioneer families who still live in the neighbourhood … and hold to the tradition of voting by paper ballot on voting day, and this will honour that tradition.”
By locating a voting station within a school, she said it might also serve as an educational tool for teachers to inform their students about the democratic process “and the role they can play.”
This voting station is the city’s 27th, and caps off this year’s slate of places for people to cast ballots on Oct. 24.
“If there are any concerns or issues, we do take them into consideration with the next election,” city legislative compliance co-ordinator Danielle Derochie told Sudbury.com.
“At this point, voting starts in a month and we have our equipment in and we’re kind of in the high gear of getting ready to open up everything, so at this point in time the locations are final.”
The slate of locations has been developed in an effort to spread opportunities throughout the municipality. Locations are drawn from both past municipal elections and those used in recent federal and provincial elections.
Unlike federal and provincial elections, Derochie clarified people can vote at any location. The city employs a “vote anywhere” model, wherein ballots are printed for residents on demand.
“You won’t actually be running through the tabulators at the voting stations, you’ll just be dropping your ballots in a box at the voting station and we’ll be tabulating everything centrally,” she said.
In order to get the correct voter card printed off and to be eligible for online voting from 10 a.m. on Oct. 14 to when voting ends at 8 p.m. on Oct. 24, people need to make sure their information on the city’s voters’ list is correct.
People can plug in their information online by clicking here, where voters can confirm whether the city has the correct information on file.
In the event the information is not correct, voters can stop by any City of Greater Sudbury Citizen Service Centre to update their information.
Although voters can update their information at a voting station on election day itself, or two advance voting opportunities on Oct. 15 and Oct. 22, having the correct information in the system will speed things along when it comes time to vote.
“We try to get everybody as best we can to check their information before voting opens so it’s as easy as possible for voters.” Derochie said. “It’s really important for voters to go and make sure your information on the voter’s list is correct.”
Voting locations are as follows:
Advance paper ballot voting will take place on Oct. 15 and Oct. 22, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the following locations:
- Centennial Community Centre and Arena, at 4333 Centennial Dr., Hanmer
- Chelmsford Community Centre and Arena, 215 Edward Ave., Chelmsford
- Tom Davies Square foyer, at 200 Brady St., Sudbury
Regular paper ballot voting will take place on Oct. 24, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the following 27 locations:
- Beaver Lake Sports and Cultural Centre, at 45 Club Rd., Worthington
- Capreol Community Centre and Arena, at 20 Meehan Ave., Capreol
- Caruso Club - Upper Hall, at 385 Haig St., Sudbury
- Centennial Community Centre and Arena, at 4333 Centennial Dr., Hanmer
- Chelmsford Community Centre and Arena, at 215 Edward Ave., Chelmsford
- Collège Boréal - Restaurant "au pied du rocher," at 21 Lasalle Boulevard, Sudbury
- Colonial Inn, at 28 Cedar St., Coniston
- Confederation Secondary School, at 1918 Main St., Val Caron
- Dowling Citizen Service Centre, at 79 Main St. West, Dowling
- Dr. Edgar Leclair Community Centre and Arena, at 158 St. Agnes St., Azilda
- Elm West Playground, at 505 White St., Sudbury
- Garson Community Centre and Arena, at 100 Church St., Garson
- Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex, at 235 Countryside Dr., Sudbury
- Holiday Inn, at 1696 Regent St., Sudbury
- McClelland Community Centre and Arena, at 37 Veteran's Road, Copper Cliff
- Microtel, at 1312 Kingsway, Sudbury
- NORCAT, at 1545 Maley Dr., Sudbury
- Onaping Falls Golden Age Club, at 109 Service Road, Onaping
- Queen Elizabeth II Public School, at 32 Dell St., Sudbury
- Robert H. Murray Public School, at 3 Henry St., Whitefish
- Royal Canadian Legion Branch 76, at 1553 Weller St., Sudbury
- Skead Senior Citizens Club, at 5 Bell St., Skead
- St. Stephen's on the Hill United Church, at 1248 Lauzon Ave., Sudbury
- T.M. Davies Community Centre and Arena, at 325 Anderson Dr., Lively
- United Pentecostal Church, at 2080 Lasalle Boulevard, Sudbury
- United Steelworkers Hall and Conference Centre, at 66 Brady St., Sudbury
- Wahnapitae Community Centre, at 161 Glenbower Crescent, Wahnapitae
The city is offering free public transit on election day, and will include a shuttle service from Cambrian College to NORCAT in order to make that location more accessible to voters.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
