Township not concerned with voting cards

Roger Varley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Township clerk Debbie Leroux is not overly concerned with what some residents see as a flaw in Uxbridge's online voting system for this month's municipal election.

Several people have posted on local Facebook pages about receiving more than one voting Personal Identification Number (PIN) in the mail, saying they are receiving voter cards for people who previously lived at their address or, in some cases, receiving voter cards for individuals who never lived at the address at all.

Kathryn Stemp, who lives on Planks Lane, told the Cosmos: “I received my PIN for the municipal election, and my mother, who never lived one day of her life in Uxbridge (and has been deceased since January) received her PIN from the Township of Uxbridge.”

Leroux said people receiving PINs intended for other people should bring them back to the township offices, adding that using more than one's personal PIN is considered voter fraud. She said that such PIN mailings could be the result of children leaving home or moving recently.

"We're constantly updating our information," she said, adding the situation is no different than when the township sent out mail-in ballots. She also pointed out that each PIN vote requires the voter's date of birth.

Leroux said she couldn't say whether the online voting will result in greater voter participation, but did note that in the last election, when two positions were acclaimed, voter participation "took a nosedive. We hope it goes back up."

Online voting began at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, and continues until 8 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 26. For those who need help, the township will offer assistance at the township offices during regular hours throughout that period and also this Saturday and next Saturday. Help will also be available at the library and at the Goodwood and Zephyr community halls.

The candidates in the Township of Uxbridge are:

Mayor: Dave Barton, Ted Eng, Ian Giffin

Regional councillor: Bruce Garrod, Jeff Mittman

Ward 1: Pam Beach, Lori Kennedy, Karen Wood Kenyon, Colin Thacker, Victoria Devenport

Ward 2: Janet Betts, Gord Shreeve

Ward 3: Jacquie Hermans, Craig Marlatt

Ward 4: Alex Orr, Willie Popp

Ward 5: Christine McKenzie, W. David Ward

Durham District School Board Trustee: James Bountrogiannis, Paul Breeze, Dave Brown, Netalia Duboisky