CORNWALL, Ontario – Greg Kielec is looking for all the votes he can get going into the municipal election – but one he didn’t count on is from his 15-year-old daughter.
Still, Kielec’s daughter Marie-Soleil received her very own voter card in the mail, along with her parents.
“She won’t be voting, but she got a card,” said Kielec, who found the anomalous card when he sifted through the voter information sent to him in the mail by city hall.
Voters must be 18 or older to cast a ballot in the looming election.
Similar packages have been sent out to all other eligible voters in the city, but Kielec is now wondering if other ineligible people are getting voter cards too.
City deputy clerk Manon Levesque said the incident is unfortunate and suggested if there are further errors, voters should make officials at city hall aware.
“We can fix (issues) like that right away,” she said.
City hall gets its voter information from the Municipal Property Assessment Corproration, which uses census data and property title information when it compiles its list.
Levesque said the city refines the list before sending out voter cards. More revisions then take place to mitigate further errors.
She also pointed out that individuals need to produce ID, in addition to the voter card, before casting a ballot.
There will be 10 voting locations in Cornwall on election day, Oct. 27. The locations include Viscount Alexander School, city hall, Eastcourt Mall, La Citadelle Secondary School, the Benson Centre, Cornwall Square, L’Heritage Secondary School, General Vanier School, Eamer’s Corners Public School and Rose des Vents School.
Voters have not been assigned a voting location. Instead, voters can vote at the location of their choice.
“We want to make it as easy as possible for residents to participate in the election,” said Levesque in a statement last week.
Advance voting will be held at the Benson Centre, Cornwall Square and Eastcourt Mall on Thursday, October 9, Friday, October 10, and Saturday, October 11.
The Elections Office has two touch screen voting units which are equipped with electronic ballots including audio, keyboard, large print and colour contrast in both official languages for voters who are deaf or who have vision disabilities. These two units will be located at the Cornwall Square and Eastcourt Mall.
Cornwall Transit will be offering free Handi-Transit rides to voters with disabilities during the advance voting days to and from a voting location. Handi-Transit registered users must book their rides directly with Cornwall Transit.
Voters with other transportation concerns are asked to contact Levesque, at (613) 930-2787 ext. 2316 or mlevesque@cornwall.ca.
For additional information on the election, please visit www.Cornwall.ca/election.
