Midland: Long lineups discouraged many from voting

Letter to simcoe.com November 3 2010
MIDLAND – I would like to comment on the process for voting in the recent municipal election, which centralized voting in Midland and Penetanguishene.
As a candidate, I have heard from a large number of people who went to vote and were discouraged from voting due to long lineups at the polls.
Some people who wished to vote on their lunch breaks could not manage the long wait times. Seniors could not cope with standing for long periods of time. I personally saw a number of people look at the long lineup, become frustrated, and leave.
I had a number of supporters tell me that, after three visits to the polls and still facing long lineups, they gave up.
In a close election, this could have made a difference. When we are trying to encourage people to vote, why are we making it more difficult?
Should these two municipalities be looking at mail-in ballots like some neighbouring communities, or even the use of the Internet?
The percentage of eligible votes that voted was still quite low, but how do we know if many of them wanted to vote but were turned off by the excessive demands on their time?
Dan Downey, Midland