HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOR-2021-33 - 2022 Municipal & School Board Election - Mail-in Ballots as a Supplementary Voting Option
REPORT TO: Council
DATE OF MEETING: November 22, 2021
SUBMITTED BY: Tarling, Christine, Director of Legislative Services/City Clerk, 519-
741-2200 ext. 7809
PREPARED BY: Boomer, Cody, Election Project Manager, 519-519-741-2200 ext.
7273
WARD(S) INVOLVED: All
DATE OF REPORT: November 17, 2021
REPORT NO.: COR-2021-33
SUBJECT: 2022 Municipal & School Board Election Mail-in Ballots as a
Supplementary Voting Option
RECOMMENDATION:
For Information.
REPORT HIGHLIGHTS:
The purpose of this report is to provide additional information regarding mail-in ballots
th
, 2021.
Implementing mail-in ballots would require a large increase in the election budget and
the risks associated with mail-in ballots outweigh the benefits.
Instead of mail-in ballots, staff proposes to explore other means by which to deliver the
vote to eligible electors to address equity, accessibility, customer service, and pandemic
planning needs.
Community engagement feedback regarding mail-in ballots indicates it was the third
ranked voting option out of four.
This report supports the delivery of core services.
BACKGROUND:
Upon receipt and consideration of staff report COR-2021-26 2022 Municipal & School
Board Election Alternative Voting Methods, dated November 8, 2021, Council directed
staff to provide more information regarding mail-in ballots specifically.
By-law 2006-135 is already in place for the use of paper ballots/tabulators in all Kitchener
municipal elections and so would remain as the primary voting method for the 2022
municipal and school board elections. The purpose of this report is to present Council with
additional information regarding mail-in ballots as a potential supplementary voting method
for 2022.
*** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. ***
Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance.
In COR-2021-26 City staff used well-established election principles and factors in analyzing
the various alternative voting methods. These same principles and factors, as listed below,
were also used in analyzing mail-in ballots specifically.
Election Principles:
Accessibility The election is compliant with Accessibility for Ontarians with
Disabilities Act (AODA) and enable all stakeholders who wish to participate to do so.
Equity The election is equitable and fair for all stakeholders.
Security Ballots cast will be secure from tampering.
Secrecy An will be
confidential.
Integrity Integrity of the voting process and election record will be upheld.
Verifiability Election results will be auditable and defendable.
Legally Binding The election processes and procedures will adhere to the
requirements of the MEA and other applicable legislation and governing policies.
Factors:
Cost Administration of the election is cost effective.
Customer Service Continue to improve our procedures and processes.
Efficiency An easy and facilitated voting experience.
Counting & Results Reporting Reliable and timely results tabulation
Pandemic planning Ability to provide for a safe and healthy election.
REPORT:
Analysis of Mail-in Ballots
Mail-in ballots is one of three alternative voting methods available for use by municipalities
in Ontario. According to data received by AMCTO in 2018, 48 municipalities used mail-in
ballots for their municipal election. While staff is aware of some Ontario municipalities similar
in size to Kitchener that will use mail-in ballots for the 2022 election, staff do not know at this
moment what the total number of municipalities using this method will be.
Permitting mail-in ballots as a supplementary method would provide electors with an
additional method to cast their ballot. The general process for casting a mail-in ballot would
be as follows:
1. A voter registers with the City by a registration deadline requesting a mail-in ballot.
2. Election staff tracks the requests and verifies information on the Voters List.
3. Election staff prepares and mails kits that include the ballot, voter declaration card, a
secrecy envelope, and a return envelope with pre-paid postage.
4. The voter marks and seals their ballot in the secrecy envelope and sends the ballot back
to the City with the voter declaration card in the return envelope.
5. Election staff receives and opens the returned kit, separates the voter declaration card
from the sealed ballot. The voter is struck from the Voters List and the sealed ballot is
stored in a secured location until time of tabulation.
Staff previously recommended internet voting because it best achieved our election
principles and factors. Mail-in ballots achieves only some level of improvement and at a
considerably higher cost.Election staff believes improvements to equity, accessibility, and
customer service as well as pandemic planning can be achieved via other means with less
cost.
Benefits and Drawbacks of Mail-in Ballots
Benefits provided:
Utilized by other levels of government including the recent Federal election which
would increase the comfort level of those who chose to vote by mail in that election.
Ability for an elector to complete their ballot outside of traditional voting hours which
enhances equity for those who are unable to vote at advanced polls or on Election
Day.
Offers a semi-remote voting option which limits contact and could increase health
and safety if there were an ongoing pandemic during the election.
Unlike internet voting, physical ballots are readily available in the case of a judicial
recount.
Drawbacks to consider:
Ballot Casting and Ballot Package Errors:
Electors risk the chance of unintentionally marking or spoiling their ballots without the
opportunity to re-cast their mismarked ballot. With the inability to re-cast a ballot, a
ballot may be unable to be counted.
Limited ability for election staff to support electors while completing their ballot. This
would reduce the level of customer service election staff could provide which could
potentially increase the number of spoiled ballots.
Electors are required to complete a declaration stating and confirming their identity
and ability to vote. If the voter does not sign or send a voter declaration, the ballot
cannot be counted. This would include many variations of this problem, such as
multiple ballots being submitted with only one accompanying voter declaration form.
Electors are required to submit their ballot in a secrecy envelope inside the return
envelope. If an elector does not submit their ballot in the secrecy envelope, their ballot
secrecy would be compromised as the accompanying voter declaration form would
identify them.
Electors experiencing a disability, such as a visual impairment, do not have the same
supporting technology to cast their ballot. Overall, while permitting electors to
complete their ballot remotely, mail-in ballots do not facilitate the same level of
independence as other options.
Voter Fraud/Coercion:
The opportunity for fraud is increased by permitting a ballot to be completed remotely
outside of election worker supervision. The opportunity for electors to complete the
ballot on behalf of others is increased by this lack of supervision.
The opportunity for voter coercion is also increased due to this lack of supervision
and increases the chances of an elector influencing how one or more other electors
cast their votes.
Postal System Issues:
Ballot packages could be damaged during the mailing process both to and from
electors. Depending on the damaged sustained, such ballots might not be able to be
counted and there might not be sufficient time to issue another ballot to the voter.
The timeline for providing mail-in ballots is during a very high-volume mail period as
all municipalities, including Kitchener, are also mailing voter notification cards to all
eligible electors. Due to a potentially unforeseen delay, best effort to set
expectations for mail-in ballot deadlines could still be missed by voters.
A postal strike at any point during the vote by mail period would prevent sending
and/or receiving mail-in ballot packages.
There is a risk that a mail-in package could be intercepted.
Late Registrations or Ballots:
Due to the extended nomination period for 2022, Election staff have a considerably
shortened timeline to produce, test and mail the voter kits to facilitate mail-in ballots.
This truncated period will also shorten the registration deadline for electors to request
a mail-in ballot package. If this deadline is missed, electors will be unable to
request/receive a mail-in ballot package.
Ballots received by Election staff after the cut-off period cannot be counted.
Increase in Administrative Support:
Considerable staff resources will be required to process mail-in ballot packages and
strike the voter off the VList in time to produce an updated VList for
Election Day.
Considerable staff resources would be required to support elector questions and
inquires regarding mail-in ballots as well as other various election-related questions
which could result in delayed responses to electors, candidates, etc.
Candidates and scrutineers would need to be available for prescribed tabulation
periods.
Prolonged or delayed election results are a possibility as staff are unable to anticipate
the number of mail-in ballots received on Election Day.
Other Important Considerations:
While mail-in ballots would permit electors to complete their ballot at a time
convenient to them, electors would still be required to physically go to a mailbox or
postal office to send in their ballot.
of internet voting was not to create a contingency plan
for running an election during a pandemic, but rather to increase accessibility and
equity overall. Pandemic planning was only one of many factors for consideration.
Rather than using mail-in ballots, staff believes there are other deployment tactics and
election strategies that can be explored to improve election processes such as expanding
advanced voting dates/times, looking at different advanced polling locations, further
and bringing the vote to electors
where feasible in order to achieve the election principles and factors, and further enable
eligible electors to cast their ballot.
If Council wishes to pursue mail-in ballots in 2022, staff advises a limited deployment via a
registration-based system. A registration-based system would help to ameliorate the cost of
mail-in ballots versus sending mail-in ballots to all eligible electors.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
This report supports the delivery of core services.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
In 2018, the cost of holding Kitchener's municipal election was $559,444.35. This expense
was paid out of a reserve fund collected over the term between elections and provided for
election workers and staff, 77 voting locations and 16 institutions on Election Day, leasing
equipment and software, postage, and supplies.
Mail-in ballots are the most expensive of the alternative voting method options. Our
calculations below are based on a 25% utilization rate. Due to this method being new, staff
will need to plan for various levels of uptake in order to have sufficient mail-in ballot
packages for those who request it.
Cost of Mail-in Ballots for 25% of Eligible Electors
Vote by mail kits $ 187,500.00
Mail out postage $ 31,875.00
Pre-paid return postage $ 36,000.00
3 High-volume tabulators $ 9,000.00
Memory cards $ 480.00
Vote-by-mail system $ 14,000.00
Estimate cost of adding mail-in ballots $ 278,855.00*
* Does not include additional staffing resources, advertisements, or taxes.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
INFORM
the council / committee meeting.
Engagement Survey
The City launched an online engagement survey regarding alternative voting methods that
was open from July 9, 2021 to August 31, 2021. With online and in-person responses the
survey received 1025 responses overall and 1014 ranked the four different voting methods.
Results from the survey indicate 7.2% of respondents ranked mail-in ballots as the top voting
method. Themes from community feedback regarding mail-in ballots are as follows.
Rationale for preferring mail-in ballots:
Complete the ballot at home/convenience;
Secure/Only trust paper ballots/paper record;
Time to consider who to vote for;
Widely accessed postal service/accessible;
Not tech savvy/d; and,
COVID-19 considerations/limiting contact.
Rationale for not preferring mail-in ballots:
Could be tricky to get right/multiple envelopes and confusing ballot;
Still need to walk to a mailbox or post office;
Chance for mistakes/spoiled ballot;
Distrust in postal system/lost ballot;
Late submission of ballot/forget to send/cannot be done election day;
Potential for fraud/intercepted mail/not secure/getting into the wrong hands;
Never used traditional mail system before;
Outdated method; and,
Reference to US presidential election.
PREVIOUS REPORTS/AUTHORITIES:
COR-2021-26 2022 Municipal & School Board Election Alternative Voting
Methods
APPROVED BY: Victoria Raab, GM, Corporate Services Department