Greater Sudbury voters get new ways to cast ballots

Municipal elections are taking place across the province this October — and voters in Sudbury will have new ways to cast their ballots.

Sudbury city clerk Caroline Hallsworth said a mobile voting station — a converted transit bus that will be stationed at various locations in the city for advance polls — will be made available to voters.

Advance voters will also be able to cast their ballots online.

"And it uses technology similar to the technology that people are familiar with for security of their banking information or making online purchases,” she said. “It involves having a PIN number sent out to each voter."

People can still cast ballots in person but, this year, an electronic voters list will enable people to do so from any polling station in the city, Hallsworth said.

In the past voters were assigned to specific polls.

Hallsworth said the changes will make it easier for people to vote.

"Voter apathy is problematic and convenience is one of the reasons why people don't vote,” she said.

“The easier it is to vote, the more likely people are to vote. So we're trying to ensure that people have the most convenient, voter friendly locations that we possibly can."