Voter packages should be in voters’ hands

Jeff Helsdon, Editor

With online voting starting next week, Tillsonburg voters should be prepared for the process.

Registered residents should have received their voter information letter last week. It includes a PIN specific to each person and describes how to vote online or by phone. Voters will need their date of birth and PIN to vote.

Voting opens on Oct. 13 at 8 a.m., and continues until Oct. 26 at 8 p.m.

Tillsonburg Manager of Legislative Affairs/Clerk Trisha McKibbin said that if people haven’t received their letters by Oct. 8, they should contact the voter help centre at clerks@tillsonburg.ca or call 519-688-3009 ext. 4790. Voters can register throughout the voting period, but must go to the Tillsonburg Customer Service Centre to register.

“To be added to the voters’ list, a person will need to come in person to the customer service centre, 10 Lisgar Ave., and provide valid photo identification and proof of residence or property ownership,” McKibbin said. “Once an individual has been added to the voters’ list a voter information letter will be issued to them.”

If the PIN is lost, McKibbin advised reaching out to the voter help centre and a new one will be issued.

Voter help centres will be available throughout the voting period. Reach out to the help centre for assistance.

This is the third municipal election where Tillsonburg has used online/telephone voting. It was first used in 2018 alongside in-person voting before the municipality moved to online/telephone voting for the 2022 election.

Intelivote Systems Inc., a Canadian company specializing in election and voting technology, has been contracted to deliver the voting platform. It ensures votes are anonymous and cannot be linked to an individual elector. Intelivote also provides training and logistical support to town staff.

The company has delivered more than 115 municipal elections.

“Intelivote maintains a hosted data centre environment in Halifax through Bell Canada, which also hosts some of the most sensitive government and financial systems running in Atlantic Canada,” McKibbin said. “The full range of services they deliver, including high-speed, high-bandwidth data capability, and scalable IVR (telephone) port availability, demonstrates their commitment to ensuring maximum performance, communications path diversity and application redundancy.”

After voting closes on Oct. 26, the town will post unofficial results on its website after the polls close at 8 p.m.