Nearly half of Ottawa mail-in ballots missed deadline

Nearly half of the mail-in ballot kits issued for Ottawa’s Oct. 26 municipal election were not returned before the Oct. 16 deadline, the city’s top election official said this week, leaving about 2,500 voters who must now vote in person or by proxy.

City clerk Caitlin Salter MacDonald told CBC News that just under 2,500 electors did not return their special ballot voter kits by the deadline and had not voted at advance polls. The city’s Elections Office issued about 5,500 kits to residents who applied to vote by mail, according to the city figures reported by CTV News.

Completed kits had to reach the Elections Office or a client service centre by 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 16, and the city has said kits received after that will not be counted.

MacDonald said the Elections Office worked directly with Canada Post to make sure it knew the return deadline and to speed up processing of the special ballot envelopes where possible.

“While Canada Post’s standard delivery timelines indicated that this timeframe would generally be sufficient, mail service and delivery remains outside the control of the municipality,” she said in a statement to CBC News.

Canada Post told CBC News its standard for mail within a city is two days from the time an item reaches a processing plant. The Crown corporation said its Ottawa operations reported no delays or backlogs during the weeks of Oct. 5 and Oct. 12, a span that included Thanksgiving, and that it has no tracking for individual ballot envelopes, so it cannot say when they were mailed or delivered.

Voters whose kits missed the deadline still have options. “These electors still have the opportunity to vote in person on Voting Day on October 26,” MacDonald said.

“Electors who are unable to vote in person on Voting Day should contact the Elections Office as soon as possible for assistance,” she added, saying staff will help identify options, including proxy voting.

Under the rules set out in the city’s email to affected voters, a proxy may vote on behalf of only one other elector unless they are representing members of their own family, in which case they cannot also vote for someone outside the family. The proxy forms must be completed and certified by city staff before 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 26. The proxy must be an eligible elector and can still cast their own ballot.

Curbside voting is also available for voters who cannot easily enter a polling place. Voters can tell election workers when they arrive or phone the Elections Office to arrange it.

Ottawa voters are choosing a mayor, city councillors and school board trustees. Earlier this month, the city ran special advance voting days, which we covered in our guide to Ottawa’s special advance vote. Toronto also votes on Oct. 26, and our Toronto voting guide lists hours and ID rules, while a recent poll showed the Toronto mayoral race in a statistical tie.

Sources: City of Ottawa clerk Caitlin Salter MacDonald and Canada Post, via CBC News; City of Ottawa figures via CTV News.

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