Hamilton advance votes top 2022 total ahead of Oct. 26

Hamilton voters cast 34,996 ballots in the first three weeks of advance voting, already more than the 30,893 advance ballots cast in the 2022 municipal election, the City of Hamilton said, and the rest of the city votes on Monday, Oct. 26, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The total includes 15,632 ballots cast over the weekend of Oct. 17 and 18, the city said in a news release on Oct. 21. Another 722 people voted at the Ballot-on-Demand poll at city hall between Oct. 13 and 16. All advance and Ballot-on-Demand ballots will be counted on election day.

The busiest advance polls on Oct. 17 and 18 were in Ward 12 at the Ancaster Rotary Centre, with 1,671 ballots over the two days, and Ward 13 at the Dundas Lions Memorial Community Centre, with 1,519, according to the city’s ward breakdown. Ward 2 at the Bennetto Community Centre had the fewest, at 527.

Hamilton City Hall is offering Ballot-on-Demand voting for residents of every ward until Friday, Oct. 23. There is no advance voting this weekend.

On Monday, voters can cast a ballot at any voting location in their own ward. Locations are listed on the voting information card mailed to every household, on the city’s Where to Vote page, which also lists accessibility features, or by calling the elections office at 905-546-4365.

Voters will not be asked for their voter card. The city encourages them to bring one piece of ID, such as an Ontario photo health card or driver’s licence, showing their name and home address. Anyone without ID will be asked to sign a declaration of identity. People who cannot leave home can appoint a trusted friend or family member as a proxy to vote for them.

Students in Hamilton will have the day off. Hamilton and Niagara school boards scheduled a professional activity day on Oct. 26 at the province’s request, and dozens of schools will serve as polling stations, CBC Hamilton reported.

Property taxes are a central issue. Council raised taxes 3.87 per cent in this year’s budget, and a city forecast published in September projected an average residential increase of 8.2 per cent for 2027, though Mayor Andrea Horwath said the final figure would be “nowhere near as high,” CBC Hamilton reported in a survey of the mayoral candidates’ budget plans.

Jobs are also on voters’ minds after Stelco began idling part of its Hamilton plant. Ottawa has since given Stelco’s owner 15 days to comply or face court. More Hamilton news is on our Hamilton page.

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