With two more weeks to go, 738 ballots for the Jan. 14 municipal byelection already have come in, returning officer Glenn Treftlin reported this morning.
“It’s not too bad considering there’s two solid weeks to go yet,” said Treftlin. “It’s coming along. Looking at the last election’s rate of returns, we’re pretty much on par.”
Treftlin noted there’s a total of 5,993 eligible voters in Fort Frances.
Former councillor Todd Hamilton and Ken Perry are vying for the seat that came open when Coun. Tannis Drysdale resigned back in September.
The term of office is the remainder of the four-year term of the current council, which ends Nov. 30, 2010.
Voter kits went out in the mail starting Dec. 18, and ballots began coming back to the town as early as Dec. 21, noted Treftlin, adding electors should contact the Civic Centre if they don’t get their voter kits by today.
“I’ve got some returns here. If they haven’t received them, we might have them,” said Treftlin. “I’ve got 269 of those.
“We’ve got them filed alphabetically so if they’ve moved since the last municipal election or whatever, and they haven’t got it in their mail, they should call us,” he added.
“We can look it up to see if we received them, and if so, we’ll just hand them over to them.”
People also should contact the clerk’s office if:
•they receive a voter kit and they’re not a qualified voter;
•they receive the wrong voter kit; and/or
•they spoil their ballot while completing the kit.
Incorrect voter kits are to be returned—unopened—to the clerk’s office.
Extra voter kits are available at the clerk’s office for electors who did not receive a kit, received a wrong one, or spoiled their ballot.
The elector will have to complete some paperwork in order to receive a replacement kit/ballot, and bring identification to prove their citizenship, that they’re over 18, and they live or own property here (such as a utility or tax bill.)
Treftlin urged voters to read and follow all the directions in their voting kit before filling out their ballot and returning it.
This includes:
•making sure they sign the voter declaration form included in the kit and putting it in the yellow return envelope;
•after filling out their ballot, putting it in the white secrecy envelope;
•then putting the white secrecy envelope inside the yellow return envelope, which already should contain their signed voter declaration form (the address of the municipality should show through the window on the front of the envelope); and
•mailing that yellow envelope prior to Monday, Jan. 7 to ensure it has time to make it to the Civic Centre, or returning it there in person by 8 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 14.
Those who bring them to the Civic Centre can drop them into a box at the information desk, bring them to the ballot return station set up in Council Chambers, or put them in the mail drop box outside the doors at the town hall (even after-hours).
Civic Centre hours are 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. from Monday to Friday.
The Civic Centre also will be open during the day on Saturday, Jan. 12 to allow voters to return their ballots in person.
Anyone with questions regarding the byelection can call Treftlin or assistant returning officer Lori Pattison at 274-5323 (ext. 236 or ext. 290).
Along with other information, an online voting tutorial also can be found at the town’s website at www.fort-frances.com
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
