Northern Bruce Peninsula council has received an update on the accessibility initiatives undertaken in the recent municipal election.
During a meeting on Nov. 15, a report was brought forward by municipal clerk Cathy Addison. The report outlined the measures employed during the election on Oct. 24.
The report says for the election, the municipality opted for voters to send in their choices for council, deputy mayor and mayor by internet and telephone, which was previously approved in a by-law on April 25.
These measures came with the adoption of the Municipal Election Accessibility Plan earlier this year. It sought to strengthen and support the municipality’s efforts of assisting people with disabilities, by ensuring elections were accessible to all electors and candidates.
The report says while the use of internet and telephone voting did not having voting locations, staff were at municipal offices for people to use voting equipment if needed.
“People that did come into the voter information centre here, anybody that needed assistance, we heard high praise,” says Addison.
The report adds through the efforts undertaken, staff attempted various methods to reach as many voters as possible to ensure residents were properly informed.
“Staff recognize that informing an electorate about a new voting method, the voting dates, and encouraging voting can always be improved,” says the report.
Addison says she did not have the numbers for how many residents attended the municipal building for voting assistance.
“I can honestly say probably Oct. 24 was probably the busiest day here as far as people coming in because like anything else, sometimes people leave things to the last minute or they lost their voter information letter,” says Addison. “They were able to come here and we were able to print them up a new voter information letter and can do their voting from here, and most that did that, they opted just to come in and vote here instead of going back home.”
