Advance voting in Greater Sudbury’s civic election has surpassed 20,000 ballots, hitting 17.35 per cent of eligible voters as of Friday morning.
Next up will be advance paper ballot voting on Saturday, Oct. 22, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at three locations:
- Centennial Community Centre and Arena, 4333 Centennial Dr., Hanmer
- Chelmsford Community Centre and Arena, 215 Edward Ave., Chelmsford
- Tom Davies Square foyer, 200 Brady Street, Sudbury
The first advance voting opportunity at these same locations on Oct. 15 yielded approximately 1,000 ballots cast.
Advance online voting is ongoing, with more information on how to do so available by clicking here. A video about how to vote online can be found by clicking here.
Everything people need to vote, including a code to access online voting, was sent to registered voters in a voter information letter earlier this month.
For those with errors in their voter registration information or who have not received their voter identification letters in the mail with the code required to vote online, they can get one through any Citizen Service Centre or municipal library, which have been set up as Voter Registration Centres. Valid identification is required.
Voters should be aware that Mayor Brian Bigger’s name will still appear on the ballot despite the fact he indicated earlier this month that he was stepping down from consideration for family reasons.
The deadline for a candidate to withdraw their nomination legally was at 2 p.m. on Aug. 19, so Bigger is still considered a certified candidate for the office of mayor.
This fact has drawn some criticism from the public, since it raises the possibility that some people unaware that Bigger has stepped down might still vote for him.
The city’s hands were tied, city solicitor and clerk Eric Labelle said, noting they are mandated with following the rules laid out in the Municipal Elections Act.
The only way they are able to remove registered candidates from the ballot after Aug. 19 is if they die or become otherwise ineligible to seek office, such as those who become incarcerated.
Candidates declaring they are no longer seeking office “has no legal effect,” Labelle said, adding they could still change their minds at any point.
Some people have suggested the city should put up posters or notices advertising the fact Bigger is no longer seeking re-election, and to not write a notch next to his name on the ballot.
“We could never do because as election officials … we are completely neutral, and we could never, ever put signage in a voting location or even advertise or do anything to oppose or support any candidate in an election,” Labelle said.
Election day is Monday, Oct. 24, during which voters can cast a paper ballot at any one of 27 voting stations spread throughout the city from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eligible voters can vote at any voting station regardless of where they reside in the municipality.
Online voting will continue until everything closes at 8 p.m. on election day.
Labelle said the city is encouraging people to vote as early as possible in order to prevent holdups on election day.
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.
Voters will notch their ballots next to the city council candidate of their choosing, mayoral candidate and school board trustee candidate. A full list of candidates can be found by clicking here. All of Sudbury.com’s election coverage has compiled on one page, which can be found by clicking here.
The first round of election results is expected at approximately 9:30 p.m. on Oct. 24, which Sudbury.com will report on as quickly as possible. This initial round will include electronic voting results. Unofficial results from paper ballots will come later that evening.
The Municipal Elections Act requires that election results are not to be declared "official" until at least Tuesday, Oct. 25.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
