Duane Hicks
With election day officially being Oct. 25, more than a quarter of eligible voters already have mailed in their ballots to determine the Fort Frances trustees for both the public or separate school boards.
Those who have not yet received a voting kit in the mail are reminded to check with the Civic Centre as soon as possible.
Assistant returning officer Lori Pattison said the town has received about 1,500 ballots so far.
The number of eligible voters is 5,519.
Pattison said election staff are not experiencing as many problems with the ballots as they had in the previous election, such as people not following the instructions.
But she noted the problem this year is that people have not checked the voters’ list to ensure their information is correct.
“A lot of people have moved and we are getting their packages back in the mail as they have neglected to update their address,” Pattison explained.
“People can still come in and change their address if they have not received their voters kit, and we would be more than happy to issue them a new package,” she added.
The electorate can vote anytime between now and 8 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 25.
However, those voting by mail are recommended to post them before Oct. 16 to ensure they’re delivered in time to be counted.
Those who choose to vote after Oct. 16 instead are encouraged to fill out their voting package and then bring it to the Civic Centre during office hours.
As of this week, there is a ballot box set up and election staff are working in council chambers.
Incumbents Dan Belluz and Terry Higgins, along with newcomer Dave Kircher, are running for the two Fort Frances seats on the Rainy River District School Board.
Meanwhile, incumbents Paul Cousineau, Anne-Marie Fitzgerald, and Harold Huntley are vying for the two town seats on the Northwest Catholic District School Board.
(The Catholic board reduced the number of Fort Frances seats earlier this year, explaining why three incumbents are running for two seats).
