Ways to Vote

Contents

• Mail-In Ballots
  • What is voting by sealed envelope ballot
  • Requesting a sealed envelope ballot
  • Additional information
• Non-Resident Voting
• In-Person Voting
  • Advance Voting Opportunities
  • Voting Places: Special Voting and General Voting
  • Accessible and Assisted Voting
• Electronic Vote Tabulation
• Personal Security Protection

Mail-In Ballots

What is voting by sealed envelope ballot?

Mail ballot voting provides those electors unable to attend a special, advance or general voting opportunity the ability to vote in a local election. Generally, mail ballot voting is intended to allow non-resident property electors, seasonal residents, electors in geographically remote locations, and electors whose mobility or health is compromised, an opportunity to cast their ballot in the election. A person may not cast their ballot in a local election via the Internet or over the telephone.

The Northern Rockies Regional Municipality will offer Mail Ballot Voting as part of the 2022 General Local Election.  Qualified electors can apply for a Mail Ballot Package, rather than attending in-person at a polling station.  The process is regulated by provincial statute, and the NRRM Election Procedures Bylaw.

Persons must be eligible to vote as an elector or non-resident property elector, in the same manner as a regular voter.  Please see voting eligibility for more information.

Requesting a sealed envelope ballot

Complete the mail ballot application, and submit it online, by email, or in-person at the Municipal Office, as early as possible in advance of General Voting Date, October 15, 2022.  Application forms will be available online, by email, or in person between September 26 - October 12, 2022. To be counted for voting, mail ballots must be received by the Chief Election Officer by 8:00 p.m. on General Voting Day, Saturday, October 15, 2022.

Electors who are concerned they may not have enough time to return completed packages before the deadline can call one of the Election Officers indicated in the sidebar to the right.

Additional information

• A voter making an in-person application will be provided with a sealed envelope ballot package once the application is approved.
• For email, mail, or online applications received by October 12, 2022, voters will receive a sealed envelope ballot package by mail, or you can arrange to pick it up at the Municipal Office.
•  If you requested a mail ballot and have not received it, please contact the Chief Election Officer.  You will be required to complete a form attesting that you have not received the mail ballot, and a replacement ballot will be mailed to you.  Those receiving replacement ballots are still required to ensure that the ballot is received by the Chief Election Officer prior to close of General Voting Day to be counted.
• If you lost or spoiled your ballot, please contact the Chief Election Officer. You will be required to return a spoiled ballot, and if the ballot is lost you will be required to complete a Form attesting to that. Those receiving replacement ballots are still required to ensure that the ballot is received by the Chief Election Officer prior to close of General Voting Day to be counted.
• If you fail to complete or sign any of the mail ballot documentation, Elections staff will contact you and if time permits, arrange for you to complete the documentation and return it, prior to issuing a mail ballot package (prior to October 12, 2022).
• The mail ballot voting process has several safeguards to ensure that ballots are kept secret and that the rights of electors to privacy are respected. The mail ballot package includes a secrecy envelope into which an elector's ballot is placed and the envelope is then sealed by the elector. The secrecy envelope does not have any external markings to identify the elector and it may only be opened by the Chief Election Officer or Deputy Chief Election Officer on general voting day.
• When a mail ballot is received by the Chief Election Officer the certification envelope will be examined to ensure that it has been properly completed and, if satisfied as to the elector's entitlement to vote, the secrecy envelope will be deposited unopened in a separate ballot box reserved for mail ballots.
• The voter must return the ballot (in the sealed envelope provided) to the Chief Election Officer prior to 8:00 p.m. on October 15, 2022.  Please note that it is the voter's obligation to ensure that the ballot is received by the Chief Election Officer within this time period.
• Mail ballots get counted on General Voting Day. Typically, mail ballots are combined with the ballots of a Special Voting opportunity to ensure the secrecy of ballots based on the number of total ballots combined.

Non-Resident Voting

When a person lives in one jurisdiction and owns property in one or more other jurisdictions, they may vote once in each of the other jurisdictions where they own property -- as long as they meet the voter eligibility requirements.

If a person owns a property with one or more other individuals, only one person is eligible to vote as the non-resident property elector for that property. The owner entitled to vote must be designated, in writing, by the majority of the property owners.

A person cannot vote on behalf of a corporation, or as a non-resident property elector, based on a property owned wholly or in part by a corporation.

In-Person Voting

Advance Voting

An advance voting opportunity must be held 10 days prior to general voting day. This required advance voting day allows eligible electors who may not otherwise be able to vote on general voting day to cast their ballots.

Local governments with populations greater than 5,000 are required to hold at least two advance voting opportunities. Local governments may set out in their election bylaws whether additional advance voting opportunities will be offered, or in communities of less than 5,000, whether the required additional advance voting opportunity will be waived.

Voting Places: Special Voting and General Voting

Special voting opportunities may be held in any location – inside or outside the local government boundary – to provide eligible electors who may not otherwise be able to attend a voting place an opportunity to cast their ballots during a local election.

Special voting opportunities are generally held in hospitals, long-term care facilities or other locations where electors’ mobility may be impaired.

General voting day is the primary opportunity for candidates seeking office as a mayor or councillor to be elected to office by eligible electors. Voting places are open from 8 am to 8 pm local time on general voting day.

Accessible and Assisted Voting

Local governments are required to make voting places as accessible as reasonably possible. This includes providing options for:

• Assistance receiving a ballot ("curb-side" voting): if an eligible elector travels to a voting place and cannot easily access the building or room in which voting is taking place, an election official may bring them a ballot.
• Assistance marking a ballot: if an eligible elector is unable to mark their own ballot, another person, such as an election official, friend or relative, may assist them. That person will be required to sign a solemn declaration before being able to provide assistance in marking the ballot.
• Translation: if an eligible elector requires assistance from a translator, they may bring one, as long as the translator makes a solemn declaration that they can and will translate to the best of their ability.

Electronic Vote Tabulation

We’re modernizing how we run elections, which means improving processes and introducing new technology. We use electronic tabulators to count paper ballots - all technology goes through rigorous testing to ensure accuracy and integrity before it is used. You’ll still use a paper ballot, but instead of dropping the ballot in a box, you’ll feed it into a tabulator for counting. (Your paper ballot will be kept in case of a recount.)

These changes will provide better service to voters, speed up ballot counting and let us release the election results sooner after voting closes.

Does this mean I’ll be able to vote online? What kind of new technology will be used?
No. You won’t be able to vote online and we’re not going to use digital voting machines. Paper ballots will still be used to make sure the election is secure.

Personal Security Protection

Any person can request to have their name and address obscured from the voters list to protect their personal security. Requests must be submitted in writing to the Chief Election Officer.