Article contentWalsh explained that residents whose ballots were mailed back but were not received by the city have two options.Article content“You can vote in person on Oct. 8 at your designated ward voting centre between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., or you can request a replacement kit in advance of Election Day by contacting 311 or emailing election@stjohns.ca,” she said. Article content“Replacement kits must be picked up at city hall by October 7. If your vote has not been received and you are unable to use either of these options, please reach out to 311 or to elections staff for assistance.” Article contentWalsh said that any votes confirmed through the look-up tool to have not arrived at city hall will be considered ‘invalid’ and those individuals can vote again.Article contentArticle content“Those ballots will be invalidated. Anybody who has those and we have not received them, they will no longer be counted as votes. We will invalidate those kits. That way, people can register for a new kit and obtain that, and that, of course, will be the vote that counts.” Article content‘Obviously there are flaws in the system’Article content Could the Canada Post strike and ensuing election complications result in a new way to conduct elections in St. John’s? City Clerk and Chief Returning Officer Theresa Walsh says informal conversations are already taking place. Photo by Keith Gosse/The TelegramArticle contentWalsh said candidates were briefed on the contingency plan and new election date on Monday afternoon and says early feedback was positive as candidates showed support for allowing the election to proceed with fairness and accessibility in mind. Article content“We appreciate they are probably eager for an outcome, but I’m sure that they want the same thing, for voters to have complete accessibility and ability to cast their vote in the election,” she said.Article content“We appreciate their patience and their professionalism… We haven’t heard any negative feedback on that. Everybody seems positive. They just want to be supportive of the process.”Article contentArticle contentWalsh says the jury is still out on whether the postal disruption will negatively impact voter turnout, even with a little added time, but says the city’s contingency plans were put in place to maintain everybody’s right to vote, regardless of whether they choose to exercise that right.Article content“That’s always a concern, but we are making every effort to put in measures to ensure that everyone who wanted to vote gets an opportunity to vote,” she said.Article content“There will, of course, be the extended period where people can still reach out to get a new kit if they are concerned that we did not receive their vote. With that additional time, they have time to organize and figure out how they will make it to Election Day for October 8.” Article contentWhile Walsh says there is legislation in place that governs the way the city conducts its elections, she says the city will be presenting recommendations following its election debrief and may seek to make some changes that impact how future elections are run in St. John’s.Article content“Obviously, there are flaws in the system,” she said.Article content“Recommendations went forward to council in February of 2025 that we approach the province about looking at our legislation and how we can offer alternative means for voting, such as perhaps electronic or phone. Article content“That is something we are going to continue to research and advocate for because I do think it’s important to have alternative methods for people to vote, not only in case of a situation like this, but also it increases accessibility.” Article content
Postal strike pushes St. Johns to postpone Election Day to Oct. 8
