LAC LA BICHE - Due to restrictions on access at some healthcare facilities and seniors' homes across the region because of pandemic measures, on-site voting opportunities — Institutional voting stations — operated by municipal election officials had to be re-evaluated for the latest municipal election process. Although there were no institutional voting stations inside seniors' homes, hospitals or post-secondary institutions, opportunities were still available for all eligible voters to cast a ballot.
At Golden Sands (formerly Points West designated supportive living), facility manager Iona Wolstenholme said special ballots for any residents wishing to vote were made available by municipal officials.
"It is extremely important for our residents who want to vote, to be able to," said Wolstenholme. "They are a large part of the community and need to be fairly represented."
The special ballots are declaration forms and ballots that include the candidate lists for the appropriate wards, the mayors and the two additional questions about daylight savings time and the federal equalization payments. The ballots were requested by facility administrators based on the number of residents asking for them. Families of all voting residents were informed about the special ballots. In the case of Golden Sands, special ballot packages were then assembled for each resident and picked up by facility staff. Residents at the facility then fill out the forms, select their voting choices, and seal their responses, which were then delivered back to the municipal election Returning Officer.
Over the last few months, Lac La Biche County staff connected with all seniors' residences in the municipality to offer the special ballot process and to explain options to allow facility residents to get their votes cast.
"The County was really good, they worked with the facility operators," said Wolstenholme, adding that 14 of the residents at Golden Sands were able to vote by special ballot.
Residents of other facilities in the municipality were also able to vote through the special ballot process.
Lac La Biche County's Returning Officer Melanie McConnell said there is no requirement within the Local Authorities Election Act to provide for institutional voting or offer special ballots, but local officials choose to include the options in their municipal election policies.
She said the special ballots can be requested through a number of options, including by phone, in-person or by mail. They can be also be returned through a number of options, including by mail — with postage-paid return envelopes — from residents who cannot leave their homes or facilities. The completed ballots can also be dropped off at the municipal office.
McConnell said the availability of the special ballots is something that has been done in previous elections. For this year's municipal election, the process has been promoted since August as a way to assure that anyone who is eligible to vote, can take part.
"The County has allowed for special ballots in previous elections, as an option for voters who are unable to attend a voting station due to physical disability or absence from the jurisdiction," she said, explaining that requests must meet specific criteria before being accepted. "This was not the first election they had the option to do so."
While the special ballots are not new and have not been implemented because of the COVID pandemic, they can allow for better access to the voting process during the current pandemic situation.
"As you can imagine, all of these facilities are managing risks related to COVID and we’ve heavily considered the health and safety of their residents/patients and our election staff," she said.
The deadline for returned special ballots was at 5 pm on Election Day.
According to the latest Statistics Canada community survey, about one-third of Lac La Biche County's estimated 8,500 population is made up of residents over the age of 65.
