It was a little chilly Monday morning outside Tom Davies Square as a specially decked out Sudbury Transit bus pulled up in front of the assembled media.
The bus will play a big role in Greater Sudbury's efforts to improve voter turnout in the next municipal election Oct. 27, 2014. Last year, city council approved a number of initiatives to make it easier to vote, and the bus will both promote voting and will be an actual mobile voting station during the advance polls for 10 days leading up to the election.
“It's E-minus 364,” said Caroline Hallsworth, the city clerk, who gave an update on those efforts at Monday's news conference.
“We’ve been working hard to bring more accessible and convenient ways of casting a ballot to our community for the next municipal election,” Hallsworth said in a news release.
“Our mobile voting location is just one example of a new approach to the election process that recognizes preferences for online participation, extended hours and a more flexible choice of voting locations.”
For the first time in a municipal election in Sudbury, residents who cast their ballots ahead of time — from Oct. 14-24, 2014 – can either vote aboard the bus, or online.
“In addition, on Oct. 18 there will be opportunities for citizens to cast their ballots at one of five paper ballot voting locations throughout the city,” the release said. “On Election Day, Oct. 27, citizens of Greater Sudbury may vote at any conveniently located voting locations, all of which will be larger and better equipped to serve electors.”
The introduction of Internet voting is aimed at increasing participation among young voters. The city is working with post-secondary institutions in Sudbury “to heighten awareness of this option to participate in the democratic process.”
In Hallsworth's report to council in 2012, she said getting residents to participate in local elections is always a challenge.
“Municipal election voter turnout tends to be low in comparison to provincial and federal elections,” she said. “The average voter turnout … during the 2010 Ontario municipal elections was 49.1 per cent. In 2010, Greater Sudbury had a voter turnout within its municipal boundaries of 49.75 per cent, which was an increase over the 40.82 per cent turnout in 2006.”
Under the proposal, the voters on the electronic voters list would receive a PIN number in the mail, which they would have to be verified online. As soon as they vote using the PIN, the PIN can’t be used again.
Peterborough and Markham have used electronic voting, as well as Halifax. City staff will study the Halifax experience, since the city is comparable in size to Sudbury. Internationally, Norway is planning to use electronic voting for all of its elections by 2017.
Three referendum questions will also appear on the 2014 election ballot:
-Are you in favour of retail business establishments having the choice to open to the public on Dec. 26?
-Are you in favour of retail business establishments having the choice to open to the public on the Civic Holiday, the first Monday in August?
-Are you in favour of allowing retail business establishments to choose the hours when they are open to the public?
More information is available online at www.greatersudbury.ca/elections, by calling 311 or on Facebook and Twitter @sudelec2014.
