What can I do?
Sign or circulate the petition
More on Mail-in Ballots
City of Kawartha Lakes clerk Judy Currins' report on the problems encountered in the 2006 Municipal election:
- 5677 "improperly completed voter kits"
- more than 4000 voter kits returned unopened
- more than 300 ballots ("yellow envelopes") returned to the election office after the election.
In the November elections 133 Ontario municipalities used mail-in ballots.The result was a travesty of democracy:
- Up to 20% of votes rejected
- More votes were uncounted because they arrived in the mail past the deadline
- Although the ballot said you could vote in person, there was only one polling station for the entire City of Kawartha Lakes (area 3059 sq. km).
- There was no provision for privacy or security: for example, there was nothing to prevent anyone voting for a spouse, parent, child or tenant.
- Despite a wildly inaccurate voters list (eg. duplicate names, out-of-date addresses, and deceased voters), all ballots were sent in the mail, so could be used by whomever received them.
To: The Parliament of Ontario:
Whereas qualified voters of Ontario are entitled to: (a) a vote in Municipal elections (b) both secrecy and security when filling in their municipal ballots (Ontario Municipal Elections Act Section 49 (2)) And whereas the Government of Ontario has permitted municipal ballots to be sent by mail, thus compromising both the security of the ballot and the privacy and security of the voting process, We the undersigned petition the Parliament of Ontario as follows: to amend the Municipal Elections Act to disallow mail-in ballots, and require municipalities to hold walk-in elections, with sufficient polling stations to enable all voters to cast ballots, and with sufficient advance polls to accommodate voters. |
1. Online Petition
2. "Paper" Petition Because online petitions are not admissable to the Ontario Legislature, a parallel "paper petition" is being circulated throughout Ontario. |
VOCO main page