Township sticking with paper ballots for 2010 election
Nov 03, 2009 - 04:30 AM
By Jeff Hayward
UXBRIDGE -- Uxbridge is not going online with electronic municipal election voting for next year.
The Township is sticking with its mail-in ballot system, which it introduced in 2000, using a new company (DataFix) to manage the voting list and handle the paper votes as Canada Post no longer provides the election service, according to Uxbridge officials.
Uxbridge councillors recently reviewed alternative voting methods for the 2010 showdown, concluding electronic voting would be a burden, and many in the township do not have high-speed Internet. Phone voting was also struck down due to costs, with staff noting it could be up to $76,000.
Clerk Debbie Leroux said mail-in voting is working well.
"Since vote by mail (was introduced), turnout has gone nowhere but up," she said.
Voter turnout for the 2006 municipal election was 49.9 per cent.
For the next election, Uxbridge will use two high-speed vote tabulators and a ballot marker device for accessible voting. Mayor Bob Shepherd said any eligible resident also has the right to vote at Town Hall in person.
Ms. Leroux did not know when the paper ballots will be mailed out next year.
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