While finding out the results of the municipal election here has sped up since the town switched to mail-in ballots in 2000, it’s expected the candidates will find out how they did even faster this time around.
Fort Frances Clerk Glenn Treftlin said in an interview last week that for the first time Fort Frances, as well as Dryden and Kenora, will be using an electronic voting tabulator to tally up the ballots.
“Primarily, it’s a time-saver,” said Treftlin. “There’s also less risk of manual error.
“Hopefully, we can push a button shortly after 8 o’clock and be done by 10 after,” he chuckled.
“We’re going to try and set something up where we can start processing ballots through the tabulator say at 11 o’clock on the morning of election day for those that have been received up to that point in time.
“The crew I’ll have on board on election day and the week before will be processing the returns as they come in,” he added. “So we don’t have to sit around and process a bunch of ballots after eight o’clock [on Nov. 13].
“Hopefully, it will be a matter of pushing a button and getting the results,” Treftlin said.
But he noted there will be staff on hand for “Plan B”—a manual count—in case any technical problems do occur on election day.
Treftlin said the cost of using the electronic tabulator is about the same as using people to count ballots, but is expected to be much more time-efficient—a far cry from the days before the mail-in ballots.
“In the past, using the traditional ballots, I had 29 voting stations across town plus the advance polls,” he noted. “And each station had a minimum of two people, so you had more than 60 staff to look after the polls.
“And then manually counting after a long day of receiving and processing ballots, traditionally we weren’t done much earlier than one o’clock in the morning,” Treftlin recalled.
“So, 10 after eight looks pretty inviting.”
< *c>Check voter list
In related news, Treftlin is stressing that Fort Frances residents should check over the next couple of weeks to make sure they’re on the voters’ list for the Nov. 13 election.
Eligible voters can find this out, as well as whether their address is correct and whether they’re designated to vote for public or separate school board trustees, by checking out the lists located at the Civic Centre, Memorial Sports Centre, and Fort Frances Public Library.
“We strongly encourage the voters to look at the list and check to see if it has their correct name, mailing address, qualifying address, and school support,” Treftlin said.
If there is a problem, people can get an application to make that change (whatever it may be), fill it out, and turn it in to Treftlin.
These amendment forms are available at the same three locations the lists are.
Treftlin noted he has to have all the right information sent into the company—DataFix—so they can get the ballots printed and mail-out packages ready.
He said some voters on the list may have two separate addresses—a qualifying address and a mailing address (such as in the case of “snowbirds” or students who may live outside Fort Frances during the school year).
Treftlin said another thing to look for is if a voter is on the list more than once—for instance, under their full name and then again under their initials.
They should have it corrected so they just receive one mail-in package.
Treftlin stressed people only can vote once anyway, and that it’s a punishable offence under the Municipal Act to do otherwise. This can carry a $5,000 fine.
Treftlin said he must submit all the correct info to DataFix, which is in charge of the mail-in voting, by Oct. 11, so he would like to have it in to him within the next few weeks.
He added he’s gotten back some correction forms so far but is concerned not enough people are checking the preliminary voter lists, thus jeopardizing the potential number of eligible voters.
DataFix is expected to mail out the voting packages during the week of Oct. 23.
These packages include a ballot, a white privacy envelope, and a larger, yellow envelope which is postage paid if mailed in Canada.
Treftlin noted the greatest advantage to mail-in voting isn’t so much financial as it is practical as it gives you more opportunity to vote. With the provincial and federal elections, voters get three days to vote—the two advance polls and voting day.
With the mail-in system, voters can send their ballots in as soon as they get them—even several weeks before election day.
While Canada Post has vowed to have all the mail-in ballots in its system delivered to the town by Nov. 13, Treftlin recommended that voters don’t mail in ballots after Nov. 3 if they don’t have to.
Treftlin said the turnout for the last election in November, 2003 was better than in 2000 and he expects an equally good—or even better—one this fall.
(The voter turnout in 2003 was about 60 percent, compared to
49 percent in 2000. The total number of eligible voters in Fort Frances is about 6,600).
In 2003, most of the votes arrived via the mail as opposed to the 2000 election, where 2,333 of the ballots came that way while the balance of 1,048 were dropped off in person.
For those who still wish to vote in person, Treftlin noted there will be staff at the Civic Centre to accept their ballots from Nov. 6-13.
Those who do vote this way, however, still must follow procedure and fill out the mail-in package as if they were sending it in the post.
As for those interested in running in the election, the Town of Fort Frances will continue to accept nominations until the Sept. 29 deadline.
These offices include mayor, six councillors, two Rainy River District School Board trustees, and three Northwest Catholic District School Board trustees, as well as one French language public school board trustee and one French language separate school board trustee for respective regional boards.
The election of a Rainy River District Social Services Administration Board for the unincorporated area of Rainy River Central also is being managed by Fort Frances election officials.
Nominations must be filed with Treftlin or assistant returning officer Lori Pattison by 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 29. The cost is $200 for mayor and $100 for all other offices.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
