Voting method up in the air
By Michael Gennings Simcoe.com March 9 2010
STAYNER – What voting method will Clearview Township residents use for this fall’s municipal election?
That’s a question without an answer at the moment.
Bob Campbell, the township’s clerk, recommended in a report at council last Monday night that mail-in voting is the way to go.
He said mail-in voting – used locally in 2003 and 2006, instead of traditional paper ballot voting at polling stations – eliminates the need for advance polls, proxy votes, the printing and mailing of voter notification cards and polling stations.
Mail-in voting also reduces the number of staff required to work on election day, he said.
But council members didn’t share Campbell’s conviction.
Deputy Mayor Alicia Savage said the clerk’s report lacked any information about what other voting options there were.
“I would like to see what would be entailed for electronic voting,” she said.
Electronic voting typically involves using a computer terminal to cast a ballot.
Ward 1 councillor Doug Measures shared Savage’s sentiment about the need for more choices.
“We need to have some more options before we can make a decision about this,” he said, adding after the meeting: “Council is charged with making decisions based on information and it’s important that we have all the alternatives and then staff’s preferred options. What the clerk presented is great – I’m just interested in having more to choose from.”
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