The City of Ottawa wants to give residents more time to vote in the municipal election this October and more places to cast their ballots.
The finance and economic development committee unanimously passed a recent proposal from city staff for three additional advance voting days on Oct. 1, 2, and 3. Voters could cast their ballot in any ward on these special days, not just at their designated polling station, if council passes the recommnedation on March 26.
These advance days would be in addition to the two traditional days of advanced voting.
The city hopes the extra days and extended hours at the new advance polls will make it easier for residents to vote.
“We’re trying to make the voting process accessible to all, and we feel that by adding more days and removing the restriction of a geographic area, we’ll do that,” says Catherine Bergeron, the city manager of elections.
Bergeron says the city isn’t setting any specific goals in regards to increasing voter turnout. The new plan is intended to help to resolve some of the challenges residents face in getting to the polls on election day.
“We’re just looking for additional ways that we can help voters exercise their franchise. Some voters feel it is too restrictive to only be able to vote within their area of jurisdiction,” Bergeron says.
The city’s report to the finance and economic development committee discussed other barriers that keep residents from voting.
“Electors with disabilities have often expressed a preference for voting on an advance vote day because it is less busy, with less noise and less traffic, than voting day,” the report states.
At the March 4 meeting, the finance and economic development committee also heard from three members of a local organization called the City for All Women Initiative.
Representatives from CAWI said the extra opportunities to vote will increase accessibility for lower-income residents who may be facing challenges such as transportation or childcare.
“Living in poverty adds so many complications to daily life that they don’t set aside time to think about elections,” said CAWI member Dawn Welch.
The only additional expenses will be for ballots and elections staff, Bergeron says.
But Bergeron conceded that stocking each voting station with the proper ballots for any resident in the city poses a challenge.
The City of Ottawa has 23 wards and since residents won’t be restricted by geographic voting boundaries, each polling station would need to be prepared for all eligible voters on the new advance voting days.
“The challenge, obviously, will be to make sure that each voter receives the proper ballot face. We’re also looking to ensure that all voters vote only once,” says Bergeron.
The city will maintain a live, electronic voters list to help things run smoothly at the advance polls. As soon as a resident votes at a polling station, their name would be removed from the list, Bergeron explains.
This year’s municipal election is Oct. 27.