By Chris Lewis | April 1, 2021
Provincial elections just clewed up this week, but municipal elections are right around the corner. And Mount Pearl is getting ready.
The 2021 municipal elections across Newfoundland and Labrador are scheduled for Tuesday, September 28. During the most recent meeting of council in the City of Mount Pearl on March 23, councillor Bill Antle said he hopes the majority of the province’s population will have received a COVID-19 vaccination by then, with public health guidelines in place to allow for in-person voting.
Ultimately though, he said the impact the pandemic will have on municipal voting turnout is still largely unknown.
Given that uncertainty, Antle said, there has been consideration given to alternative voting methods.
“The Municipal Elections Act allows for vote by mail subject to resolution of council,” Antle noted.
He proposed the City take what he described as a hybrid approach this fall to allow for traditional in-person voting as well as voting by mail.
Antle said in order to conduct an election by mail, regulations will have to be drafted for council’s consideration and approval, with further approval required from the Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Municipalities.
“The Act also requires the appointment of an alternative returning officer,” Antle added.
The councillor presented his colleagues with two resolutions for their approval. The first was to see the Director of Corporate Services, Cassie Pittman, be appointed to the position of returning officer. The second was for approval be granted by council to authorize voters to vote by mail in the September election.
Mayor Dave Aker said the resolutions were highly motivated by COVID-19, and saw it as a good move for the City to be prepared.
Councillor Isabelle Fry said the resolutions were a requirement in municipal legislation, given the City had not had these alternative voting methods in place in the past.
“It’s something we had to consider given the current situation we are in,” she said. “It might be a viable option moving forward from here, too.”
Deputy Mayor Jim Locke supported the changes and highlighted the effects the pandemic have had on the provincial election this past 10-weeks or so.
“The provincial election has been thwarted and delayed, unforeseen. I think this is just due diligence, and if it can encourage people to vote with another opportunity to cast their vote, I see no downside to this,” Locke said.
Put to a vote, Antle’s motions passed unanimously.
Ultimately, the motion in favour of approving these resolutions was met with
