It could be easier for you to vote in the upcoming municipal election in Antigonish.
Town officials introduced electronic voting, along with the traditional paper ballots, during the last municipal elections in 2016.
After June’s regular town council meeting Monday night, Laurie Boucher, the mayor of Antigonish, said it’s important to offer both options again in the face of COVID-19.
“The idea is to make it convenient for people to vote- we live in a true democracy, (so) we want as many people to vote as possible,” she said. “If some people have the ability to vote because of e-voting, well that’s great.”
Boucher said town officials are also considering additional measures this time around; they put extra money in their budget to add more polling locations and extend advance voting.
She said they’ve come up with some ideas themselves, and had some guidance from their provincial counterparts.
“There were a few suggestions in a letter back from the NSFM (Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities),” she said. “One of them being extra polling stations, so that we don’t have long line-ups, long waits, or many people gathering.”
Boucher said their goal is to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spread, while encouraging more people to participate in the democratic process.
Municipal elections are scheduled to take place across the province Oct. 17.
