KENILWORTH – While a municipal election is still more than a year away, Wellington North council is preparing for it with the approval of mail-in ballots as the voting method for the 2026 election.
The approval came at the Feb. 10 council meeting following discussion of voter turnout in the 2022 election and of the merits of offering more than one method of voting.
Township clerk Karren Wallace told councillors that in the last election, “everyone had to use a mail-in ballot in order to cast a ballot.”
Whether those ballots were actually cast via mail or whether people attended the township office to cast their votes is not something the township tracks, Wallace said.
“But there were 8,545 eligible voters who were mailed ballots and, of that number, for the mayor’s race, 3,142 voted,” she said.
Mayor Andy Lennox called the 36-per-cent voter turnout “nothing to scream about,” but said he suspects the turnout rate might have been higher, based on the quality of the voters list.
“I know that I dealt with a number of complaints from people about the list during the campaign,” he said, receiving a nod of agreement from councillor Penny Renken.
In response, Wallace told councillors a different voters list will be used this time around.
While the 2022 election used data provided by MPAC (Municipal Property Assessment Corporation), in 2026 “the list we will be using is provided to us by Elections Ontario,” Wallace said.
“When you update that list that’s going to update you for the provincial election and the municipal,” she said.
Still, Renken wondered whether the township couldn’t provide an alternative to the mail-in method for voting.
“Is there a way we can have a combination of mail-in and something else?” Renken asked.
In response, Wallace explained that just because ballots are mailed to electors doesn’t mean they have to use the mail to cast them.
“You have, I think, a two-week window to cast that ballot,” said Wallace. “You can bring it in here, and we can help you.”
If a voter accidentally throws away or loses the ballot, the voter can contact the township to have a replacement issued.
Advance voting will be available at the township office in Kenilworth, and there will be ballot boxes set up on the day of the election at the arenas in Arthur and Mount Forest, Wallace said.
“Those people who really want to put it in a ballot box themselves, they have the opportunity to do that as well,” she said.
“And you’ll be able to get a ballot if you forgot yours. You can walk into the arena with your ID and we’ll generate a ballot for you.”
Renken seemed satisfied with the answer, but then wondered, “is there any way that we can generate more enthusiasm for voting?”
“I think that’s up to the excitement of the race,” said Wallace.
“I just want to run a good election. That’s up to you guys to get the vote out.”
The municipal election is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 26.
In the past municipal election, councillors Lisa Hern and Steve McCabe were acclaimed to their respective seats.
Renken faced two other candidates in her ward, where 836 ballots were cast, and Sherry Burke faced one opponent in her ward, where 952 ballots were cast.
