LETTERS: On-site polling station in Vaughan helpful to seniors

YorkRegion.com
Oct. 23, 2014

The residents of 2502, 2504 and 2506 Ruthorford Rd. (Villa Giardino) do not have a polling station on the premises this year.

Many of the residents use canes, walkers and scooters and have difficulty walking.

In order to vote, they must now make their way over to Keele Street, north of the fire hall. I’ve heard many say they will not be able to vote in the upcoming Oct. 27 municipal election as it is too difficult for them to get out and about.

We don’t understand why the polling station at Villa Giardino was cancelled.

Filomena Grieco

Concord

(The  Citizen invited the City of Vaughan to respond to Filomena Grieco’s concerns as laid out above. Here is what the city clerk had to say on the subject.)

Co-operation needed to provide on-site voting

The city seeks to provide convenient voting for all voters, but we must ensure the operational integrity of the locations. 

In 2010, some condo locations presented logistical challenges and so, in January, we approached the building management of condos that housed 2010 voting locations, including Villa Giardino, to make arrangements for a polling place for this election. 

We asked management to ensure such things as unimpeded access to suitable voting space. 

Management was advised that without agreement on our basic conditions for holding a poll on site, residents would be required to attend a neighbourhood location to vote.

We received neither a response to our letter nor to two follow-up telephone messages to the Villa Giardino management office.

The residents of Villa Giardino are not disenfranchised from voting as a result of building management’s failure to make arrangements for an on-site voting place.

Ten full days of advance voting took place on the ground floor of city hall and Ward 1 residents, including those with mobility challenges, had the chance to vote there or at another advance voting location.

They also still have the opportunity to vote on Oct. 27 at Father John Kelly Catholic Elementary School.

Jeffrey A. Abrams

City Clerk and Returning Officer