A Victoria council candidate and a citizens group are demanding answers about delayed mail-in ballot packages and voting problems before the city declares its official election results Wednesday. About 2,300 of roughly 3,700 requested mail ballot packages were delayed at a Canada Post facility for up to five business days after a required form was not filed, according to information acknowledged by the city. The city learned of the delay before election day and urged affected voters to return completed ballots in person by the 8 p.m. deadline on Oct. 17. Victoria counted 2,007 mail-in ballots in the election, down from 2,685 in 2022. The city has not publicly accounted for how many affected applicants voted another way or did not have a vote counted. Arthur McInnis, an independent candidate for Victoria city council and Capital Regional District director, wants the city to account for every mail ballot applicant and preserve all related records. “Every person who applied to vote by mail should be accounted for, whatever the margin,” McInnis said in a statement. He is also calling for an independent review of the election, including whether problems at voting locations created avoidable barriers for residents. Preliminary results put McInnis five votes behind Coun. Dave Thompson in the CRD director race. In his statement, McInnis said he intends to apply for a judicial recount and will ask for a hand count of every ballot. The Sustainable Victoria Network is also seeking a public accounting of mail ballots. The group delivered a letter to City Hall Tuesday, calling for officials to establish how many people who requested mail-in ballots ultimately had their votes counted and for an independent review of the election process. “The city should explain how it planned access to voting and how it responded when problems arose,” McInnis said in his statement. “Voters are entitled to answers supported by the records.” The city must declare its official results by 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21. McInnis has requested the full accounting before then. Whether the delays affected any election outcome remains unknown. The outstanding question is how many people who requested mail-in ballots ultimately had their votes counted.
