Election preparations begin in Simcoe County

An election in the pandemic CTV's Katelyn Wilson reports on what a federal election will look like during the pandemic.

BARRIE, ONT. — The doors are officially unlocked at the Elections Canada office in Simcoe North, as preparations are underway to welcome voters back to the polls.

“There’s a lot more work to do, and as the health departments change the rules, then we have to change our rules,” said the acting returning officer, Nancee Adams.

With 30 years of experience, acting returning officer for Simcoe North Nancee Adams, is no stranger to elections.

But with a shorter campaign in the midst of a pandemic, Adams says this one is like no other.

“It’s going to be probably a little more hectic, a little more crowded… more safety protocols in place,” Adams said.

With the lease signed Friday and much work to be done, it’s one of two offices in Simcoe North where voters can cast special ballots until September 14.

Advanced polls will also be open September 10-13 for an election on September 20.

“You can also do mail-in ballots, which they believe will be at least one-third of our amount of votes will go to mail-in ballots,” Adams said.

To put that into perspective, Adams says typically around 3,000 mail-in ballots are cast in the riding. This time around, it’s expected to jump to 30,000.

Visiting professor of politics at York University, Michael Johns says, that could mean results in some ridings are delayed the night of the election.

At the same time, he added nothing about the election will be typical, including voter turnout.

“The interesting part about this is that we don’t know. If we are in unchartered territory, then the party is in unchartered territory,” Johns said. “Campaigning is going to look different. How welcoming will people be having people come to the door? Will we have all candidates debate where you have a crowd?”

At polls, safety measures such as masks and physical distancing will be in place, and voters can expect more locations to cast their ballots.

As for when people can vote using special ballots, Adams says as early as tomorrow in ridings where all candidates have been declared.