Simcoe County’s next warden, deputy warden and committee heads could be elected electronically by year’s end.
Simcoe County council made the decision Tuesday.
County staff say 2020 is deemed to be the mid-term point of council’s term of office. As a result, there may be elections for warden and deputy warden, which will be determined at the mid-term nomination day meeting Oct. 27, right before the council meeting adjourns.
In addition, the chairs and vice-chairs are also to be elected at the mid-term inaugural Dec. 8 meeting, or if there are acclamations for warden and deputy warden, the chairs and vice-chairs will be elected on Nov. 24, just before the council meeting adjourns.
Only Steffen Walma, Tiny Township’s deputy-mayor, spoke to the matter at Tuesday morning’s meeting, asking how virtual the process would be. He suggested using Zoom’s platform, saying it has a polling option that can either be reported, and/or anonymous.
“The only thing I was curious about was seconders were not listed as the people that were able to come in for the warden or deputy warden,” he said. “Are they required, or are they just going to be seconding the nominations virtually?”
Simcoe County clerk John Daly said the latter option is correct.
“We are trying to limit the total number of officials in the administration centre, so the proposal is that the mover of a nomination would be your scrutineer and the seconders would remain remote on Zoom,” he said.
With council and committee of the whole currently meeting electronically, staff investigated methods that would permit councillors to cast ballots. Based on ongoing recommendations from the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, concerning the COVID-19 pandemic, staff do not recommend an in-person meeting for the mid-term inaugural.
Staff do recommend that an electronic ballot, or internet voting, be used to cast ballots for any positions subject to a vote.
The procedural bylaw says Oct. 27, 2020, is to be nomination day for the warden and deputy warden.
Should two or more Simcoe County council members express interest in running for one or both of these positions, a vote is to be undertaken on Dec. 8, 2020.
But if there is only one candidate for the positions of warden and deputy warden, there would be no mid-term inaugural on Dec. 8 and the candidate(s) would be acclaimed Oct. 27. Mid-term nominations may be withdrawn before the vote being taken at the Dec. 8 mid-term inaugural meeting; however, no new or additional nominations may be submitted after Oct. 27.
County staff are investigating the most appropriate tool to accommodate an e-vote by county councillors. Regardless of the tool used, and similar to casting paper ballots, there will be a slight delay between issuing ballots, casting a vote, closing the vote and announcing those successfully appointed.
Although this delay is not anticipated to be any greater than when voting in person, it may appear to be lengthier during an electronic meeting, according to county staff.
Staff don’t anticipate excessive costs for the elections and these costs should be handled within the 2020 budget. It’s also anticipated there will be savings in not holding an in-person inaugural meeting.
All Simcoe County council and committee of the whole meetings are available live on YouTube.
