Former city/county councillor Margaret Bird is voicing concerns about possible low voter turnout in the October municipal election.
During Monday's council meeting, City Clerk Amy Burkhart confirmed although Sarnia had a higher participation rate compared to the provincial average in 2022, numbers were lower than in 2018.
Burkhart said the participation rate in the City of Sarnia was 40.41 per cent in 2022, above the provincial average of 32.9 per cent. In 2018, the participation rate was 48.9 per cent, whereas the provincial average was 38.3 per cent.
City/County Councillor Bill Dennis said he believes there were factors that contributed to a higher turnout in 2018.
"There was a lot of local interest in that particular election and I think there's going to be an awful lot of local interest in this upcoming election," Dennis said. "I would feel quite confident in saying you will probably see those same types of numbers, if not more, in this upcoming election. That's just a hunch I have."
Bird claimed there were four main reasons why residents may not to vote: they believe it won't make a difference, they're uncomfortable with the voting method, lack of transportation, and voter list inaccuracies.
"There's a lot of work to make this next election the best ever when it comes to voter turnout," Bird said. "In case the timing is too tight for fixing reasons one through four, as already mentioned, then for this one time only, maybe we could incentivize all the eligible voters with a discount or bonus."
Bird proposed the idea of property tax discounts, bus passes, or grocery vouchers to boost voter participation.
Councillor Adam Kilner questioned whether council could request a motion for a report to see what opportunities are available. However, Burkhart advised against council involvement.
"In terms of the administration of the election, the clerk does have independent statutory authority with respect to the administration of the election and this keeps the election fair and independent from political influence," said Burkhart. "So respectfully, I would not recommend involving council in any aspect of the administration of the election."
In February 2025, city council approved a hybrid voting model for the 2026 election, which offers traditional paper ballots and internet voting.
Burkhart also said new this year, voter list information will be derived from Elections Ontario data (not Municipal Property Assessment Corporation), which should improve voter list quality.
City staff also noted there are plans to offer free transit services again to help voters get to polling stations.
The municipal election is set for October 26. Paper ballot voting will be available between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. Internet voting will also close at 8 p.m. ---
