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It is the eve of the 2009 Sherbrooke Elections that will see around 70 candidates vying for the 20 remaining borough and city council seats. One of the more hotly contested races in years, tensions are running understandably high as the Nov. 1st election date approaches.
This week, voters throughout Sherbrooke received a reminder letter to inform them of their voting station location as well as the names of the candidates for mayor, councillor, and (where applicable) borough councillor for whom they can vote.
To be able to cast their ballot, voters must adhere to the following criteria:
1. Meet the voting eligibility requirements.
2. Be registered to the electoral list.
3. When arriving at the voting station, be able to produce one of the following documents: Medicare card, driver’s license, Canadian passport, Indian status certification, Canadian Armed Forces identification card.
Voting opens at 10 a.m. this Sunday and closes at 8 p.m.
For the first time since 1994, the voting in all of the city's districts will be done using paper ballots. The electronic voting system that had been used in the past three elections will be put aside, at least for this year. The need for the change is due to a moratorium from the Quebec government on the use of electronic voting machines.
"In the past, we've been able to get the election results out by 8:20 or 8:30 p.m.," explained Isabelle Sauvé, returning officer for the 2009 Sherbrooke Election, last month. "It will probably take longer to count the votes on election night now because of the paper balloting."
9.4 percent of the 113,128 people eligible to vote already cast their ballot during last Sunday’s early voting period. This number is more than double the 4.2 percent of people who voted early in the 2005 Sherbrooke Election.
"It could mean that since more people are voting early that less people will vote later," noted Sauvé earlier this week. "It could also be a sign that there's more interest in this particular election. We just won't know that until November 1st. I hope that people will come out to vote."
If you are not sure where to go vote on Sunday, the City's election website offers a tool to help find your appropriate voting station. Launched on October 5th, voters are able to learn what district they live in, where the closest voting station is located, and the candidates they can choose from, simply by typing in their address.
To find out your nearest voting station, visit the website election2009.ville.sherbrooke.qc.ca. For any other information on the 2009 Sherbrooke Election, visit the City of Sherbrooke website at sherbrooke.ca under the tab "Élection 2009".By Doug McCooeye 2009-10-30 |
Montreal Canadiens
