By KEVIN BERGER, Local Journalism Initiative
Just in time for the next municipal election in less than three months, RM of Corman Park councillors passed all three readings during their July 7 meeting on an updated election process bylaw that, among other things, will make it easier for voters to submit mail-in ballots.
Councillors also approved a new remuneration schedule for election officials featuring a new $25 per hour rate for training and a standby rate if an election is not required in a particular division.
As noted in an administration report included with the meeting’s agenda package, the next municipal election for Divisions 2, 4, 6 and 8 will take place on Monday, November 9. Provincial legislation requires that an election bylaw must be passed a minimum of 90 days before election day, which is why all three readings were required at the July 7 meeting.
The administration report noted that while the 2024 election was “generally successful,” voter feedback indicated there were opportunities to enhance the process, particularly when it came to mail-in ballots.
Under the previous Mail-in Ballot Bylaw 22-16, voters could only apply for a mail-in ballot by submitting an application “in person,” which effectively excluded anyone who was outside of the municipality before nominations opened and who was not returning until after election day.
The new Bylaw 15-26 allows applications for mail-in ballots to be made available on the RM’s website for self-serve and for applications to be e-mailed to those who make a request on or before the call for nominations.
Applicants will now have 20 days before election day to request a mail-in ballot, which administration noted will allow for enough internal processing time to mail/courier out ballots to applicants.
The bylaw also allows for applications to be returned by e-mail instead of having to be delivered by hand, by mail or by courier. However, it should be noted that if applications are not returned in-person, the applicant will be asked to provide a copy of their ID for validation, and if a family member living at the same address is being used as a witness, they must also provide their ID.
“These are the main changes from the previous mail-in ballot bylaw, which we believe will reduce many of the previous barriers,” administration noted.
Incidentally, the bylaw specifies that only the returning officer and appointed nomination officers can receive and process applications for mail-in ballots and send out the ballot kits.
Administration noted the new election process bylaw also allows for better internal control and messaging during elections by placing responsibility for all election-related messaging on election officials appointed by the returning officer.
Administration acknowledged in the report to council that certain divisions in the RM can experience a “heightened level of public interest and engagement,” leading to voters misunderstanding legislative requirements for voting and seeking clarification.
This has led to inquiries being directed to multiple staff members, which sometimes results in confusion based on variations in wording and interpretation.
In addition to limiting election-related messaging to election officials to avoid this confusion, the RM is also establishing a dedicated election e-mail account: elections@rmcormanpark.ca.
The only other changes to this new election process bylaw were strictly for information purposes. For instance, the new bylaw now spells out the parts contained in legislation pertaining to alternate methods of providing election notice or establishing a nomination day seven weeks ahead of election day instead of the usual five, making it more of a “one-stop reference.”
It also now contains a section on the use of phones at polling stations, as the RM did receive several calls during the last election asking if agents could have their cell phones.
Remuneration schedule
Under the new remuneration schedule for election officers, the per day rates for the deputy returning officers (DRO) and polling clerks (PO) have been raised from $380 and $300 to $425 and $350 respectively. A new $150 rate for advance polls lasting under five hours has also been introduced.
Justifying this increase in rates, administration acknowledged that polls typically run from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and election officials are expected to be set up an hour beforehand and stay for an hour afterwards – a total of 13 hours without breaks.
As noted earlier, the schedule also includes a standby flat rate of $100 if an election does not proceed in a particular division.
Acknowledging that election officials must be recruited months in advance to work polls and recruitment cannot wait until after nominations close, administration suggested that a standby rate “is a fair and reasonable means of recognizing the time and commitment made by election officials in these circumstances.”
The new $25 per hour training rate is also a change to the remuneration schedule, as previously election officials were not compensated for training.
This year, administration would like to hold two training dates around the election: one before and one after, to ensure that each official is competent and comfortable with their duties.
On a final note, administration indicated that, while one advance poll is required under legislation, the RM is considering hosting two this year due to the election falling on a Monday.
Normally, advance polls would be held on a Friday or Saturday, but legislation requires them to be held three days before election day, which conflicts with the Nov. 9 date.