City council to reconsider paper ballot decision

Journal Staff Sarnia voters might get the option of paper ballots after all. City council voted last week to reconsider the possibility of using paper ballots in the 2022 municipal election.

Journal Staff

Sarnia voters might get the option of paper ballots after all.

City council voted last week to reconsider the possibility of using paper ballots in the 2022 municipal election.

In February, council narrowly turned down a hybrid system in favour of Internet-only voting, which would cost about $386,000. A hybrid of online and paper ballots offered at five voting stations on election day would cost $608,000, city staff estimates.

Five council members – Margaret Bird, David Boushy, Bill Dennis, George Vandenberg and Mayor Mike Bradley – voted to reopen debate on the costlier system.

Sarnia had struck an election committee and conducted an online survey to hear how residents wanted to vote. The committee, based on the public’s divided response, recommended online voting for seven days before the election and paper-ballot voting on election day itself.

But in a 5-4 decision last month, council rejected the hybrid idea and approved Internet-only voting next year.