Newmarket to vote online and by phone, in upcoming municipal election

Town eliminates paper ballots to increase accessibility, be more eco-friendly

Yorkregion.com
August 21, 2018
Teresa Latchford

Newmarket residents don’t have to leave the house to vote in the upcoming municipal election.

In the last municipal election, eligible voters headed to physical voting locations throughout Newmarket to cast their ballot, but that won’t be the case this time around, because the town has opted for online and telephone voting.

The town’s election team will be going door to door in newly developed areas and rental properties this month to ensure residents are on the municipal voters list. They will also be attending a number of public events to spread the word.

“This is part of Newmarket’s efforts to continue to be innovative,” deputy clerk Kiran Saini said.

These methods also increase access to residents who are homebound or not easily able to get around town and students who are away at school but still wish to vote. Also, it is a more environmentally friendly option compared with the paper ballots.

The first order of business for residents is to ensure they are on the list of registered voters, Saini said. Those who are eligible to vote can log on to Newmarket.ca\vote to register or update information such as address and number of voters in the house.

“Many people assume they are registered for the municipal election if they voted in the provincial election, and that isn’t the case,” Saini said. “They are separate lists, so residents need to ensure they are registered with the town in order to receive information about the voting process.”

Once registered, voters should watch for a voting package in the mail, including a letter with instructions on how to vote and a voting PIN that will have to be inputted when using telephone or online voting.

Voting can be completed within the 10 days voting is open, beginning at 10 a.m. on Oct. 13 and ending at 8 p.m. on Oct. 22.

Newmarket residents will be voting for a mayor, deputy mayor/regional councillor, ward councillor and a school board trustee.

“While you do have 10 days to vote, it is important to note that voting must be completed in one session,” she said. “You can’t do part of the process and return to complete it later.”

The instructional letter will contain a phone number for those who want to dial in their vote. A voice will prompt the user to sign in with the PIN they were provided. Once signed in, the same voice will guide the user through each race, with a confirmation prompt following each vote, to avoid error.

For online voting, voters will visit the provided website and log in using their provided PIN. Each race will be on a different web page. At the end, users will be able to review their selections before submitting their final vote.

Saini said the service provider has met all the security criteria required.

For more information, visit Newmarket.ca or call the voter help hotline at 905-953-5121; or attend the town’s election info night on Sept. 19 from 7 to 9 p.m. at town hall, to see a voting demonstration from the vendor.