On Oct. 26, voters in cities and towns across Ontario will choose their next mayor and council. For the first time, North Bay is holding a fully online election, with no paper ballots or vote-counting tabulators. Residents will only be able to cast their ballots electronically. The city held the first of two information sessions Tuesday at Boart Longyear Memorial Gardens to give voters a chance to learn more about how it will work. “I am perfectly capable of doing what has to be done. Knowing what I found out today,” said voter Barbara Laplante. People can cast a ballot using on their computer, tablet or smartphone. But voting online does not mean residents have to vote from home. During the advance voting period from Oct. 15-36, computers and election staff will be available at city hall on McInture Street to help residents with voting. “The questions we’re receiving are mostly about what if somebody doesn’t have a computer or internet or a device that they can vote on,” said Véronique Hie, the city’s deputy clerk. “We’re just here to let people know that they can (still) come in person.” On Election Day, help will be available at Boart Longyear Memorial Gardens and WFCU Place, with computers and election staff available. The city is using a private online election company called ‘Voatz,’ which many municipalities will be using to count the online ballots. There will still be a short grace period after the 8 p.m. deadline on Oct. 26. Hie said the voting platform will allow people already in the system just before 8 p.m. to finish voting. The platform will be monitored throughout the voting period. Unofficial results will be posted once voting closes and that grace period ends, roughly an hour later. “We went through the same process as we did in the previous election,” Hie said. “We have a third party audit the system for security purposes.” Nipissing University political science professor David Tabachnick said people do many private and important things online, like banking and paying bills. “Online voting I would put sort of in the same category,” Tabachnick said. Tabachnick said taxes, housing, homelessness, accountability and transparency at city hall are the main priorities for voters this fall. Voter Donald Benoit said it’s time for change. He says he’s still upset about Mayor Peter Chirico’s credit card scandal and the lack of action by city councillors. ‘Get out and vote’ “If you’re caught stealing at any other job, you get fired,” Benoit said. “Get out and vote and get some new people in.” Voter Judy Fraser said she’s worried that other seniors where she lives don’t have access to the internet or computers to vote. But she hopes to bring the information she learned to them. Fraser said governance, use of city finances and affordability for seniors and students will be top of mind when she logs in to vote. “It’s very important (to vote) because it’s a right given to us and we have to participate,” she said. During the last election, of the nearly 16,000 votes cast, about 70 per cent were cast online. According to election results data, voter turnout for the last municipal election was at about 38 per cent and there were 73 first-time voters. “Municipal elections tend to have lower voter turnout,” Tabachnick added. “Anything we can do to get people to turn out to vote to exercise their civic duty is a good thing.” A second open house is set to take place on Oct. 5 at WFCU Place from 12-7 p.m.
