Political parties are currently campaigning for a pandemic and emergency arrangements as the official campaign approaches, but the governing body of the Ontario election has long focused on possible pandemic elections. Election leader Greg Essensa wrote to the chief health doctor in the summer of 2020 requesting a working group and the two offices have met regularly since then, he said. Elections Ontario accepts the advice of a leading physician and examines how other jurisdictions have conducted elections over the past two years. When voters show up on June 2, they will see floor markings for physical distance, Plexiglas screens, hand sanitizer and masks available – no face masks required by voters or staff, but provided for those who wish. But Essensa hopes many voters will consider avoiding the June 2 ballot altogether. “I think one of the things we are really trying to do in this election is really look at leveling the voting curve,” he said in an interview. “Traditionally in Ontario – it has always been that way – probably 85 to 90 percent of those who vote vote on election day … we want voters to vote when it suits them, when it’s the right time for them, ensuring they can come “And to vote in a safe way. That, indeed, is our ultimate goal.” This year, there will be 10 days of advanced voting, out of five, Essensa said, and the local return officer can relocate the polling station. It could be held for a few days in one community, then for a few days in another riding community, which will be especially useful for rural areas, he said. Elections Ontario also has a new online ballot application process. People can register from May 4 to 27, and the local return officer must have the ballot by 6 p.m. of election day. Other counties holding pandemic elections have seen significant increases in demand for mail-order voting, Essensa said. Ontario only had about 10,000 people voting by mail in the 2018 election, but this year is likely to be much more. In last year ‘s federal election, 300,000 of the postal ballots came from Ontario, Essensa said. In the run-up to the election, the NDP is still planning to prioritize personal events for leader Andrea Horwath, but will have taken some public health measures, the party’s executive director said. “(With virtual events) there is something missing, that warm, human feeling you feel when you are in a room with people,” Lucy Watson said in an interview. “The virtual events we did were extremely successful, huge attendance, tremendous energy and I think people still managed to make that connection. But, again, our preference and priority is definitely to have the leader meet with Ontarians. in their communities “. The design is still in progress, but many events will likely resemble the Horwath Rally that took place last Sunday – outdoors with the required masks, Watson said. All candidates and any volunteers who interact with a member of the public are fully vaccinated, he said. During the poll, the party “strongly encourages” candidates and volunteers to remain masked, Watson said. Recently, an existing candidate tested positive for COVID-19 a day after knocking on her door. She and others in this situation will follow all isolation guidelines, Watson said. The party also plans to have a COVID compliance staff member as part of the central campaign, he said. “We believe it is our shared responsibility to mitigate the risk and our primary goal is to ensure that the activities are safe for the volunteers and activists, the candidates and the members of the public who interact with them,” Watson said. The Liberals were fired upon by some supporters for a recent indoor event in which candidates appeared uncovered, despite public health rules being followed. Party spokeswoman Beckie Codd-Downey said they would continue to follow the restrictions during the campaign. “Our candidates are all vaccinated and future candidates will be as well,” she said in a statement. “(Leader Steven Del Duca) loves to take to the streets and connect the world, and we intend to continue as long as it is safe.” Becky Smith, president of the Ontario Greens’ campaign, said she would follow the advice of public health experts. “This includes taking precautions such as covering and physical distance to indoor events and using outdoor spaces when possible,” he said in a written statement. “We are running a flexible and agile campaign and we are ready to rotate as needed.” In a statement, the Progressive Conservatives said the party “will continue to follow all public health rules”. As the campaign approaches, Elections Ontario has launched a new app that will allow voters to map their polling stations, view candidate information, vote options, and receive notifications when a new candidate registers. It also provides an electronic version of the voter ballot, with a barcode. This Canadian Press report was first published on April 10, 2022.
