Higher advance poll numbers surface
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Advance poll numbers are up significantly for the Monday’s Municipality of Bayham deputy mayor by-election.
Two advance polls were held, said Clerk Linda Millard, Saturday, March 16 and Wednesday, March 20, garnering 137 and 137 votes, respectively. The 274 votes represent 5.7% of the 4,775 eligible-voter total.
During the 2010 regularly-scheduled election, 189 voters took advantage of the advance poll option. This represented 3.9% of the eligible voter total.
“It is up,” said Millard, agreeing heightened attention has surfaced throughout the municipality surrounding the by-election. “Definitely.”
During the 2010 election, 31.67% of eligible voters within the municipality exercised their democratic right.
The remaining 4,501 who did not make use of the advanced poll option for the deputy mayor by-election will be eligible to vote this Monday, March 25 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at a trio of polling stations within Bayham. Voters in Ward I will cast their ballots at the Vienna Community Centre, in Ward II at the Straffordville Community Centre; and those from Ward III at the Eden Community Centre.
In alphabetical order, Lynn Acre, Cliff Evanitski, Bob Lozon and Rainey Weisler are standing for election.
Those interested in following a running vote count on election night have two options: accessing Bayham’s website (www.bayham.on.ca) or joining staff inside council chambers where a laptop will project totals onto a wall.
It is anticipated, says Municipality of Bayham Administrator Kyle Kruger that final results will take roughly one hour to tabulate.
“Given there is only one ballot for election workers to count, we expect returns to be in by 9 p.m.”
“Time will tell,” added Millard. “We are hoping by 9 o’clock.”
In other election-related news, Kruger confirmed reports of damage to election signs.
“Unfortunately a fair degree of vandalism to signs,” he said. “So the police have been contacted.”
There are consequences for those caught damaging candidates’ promotional material, said Kruger, urging respect for the electoral process.
“The police can and should be charging individuals if they tamper with election signs.”