Officially, the municipal election day is still more than a week away, but voting is open in some North Hastings communities already.
More municipalities are moving away from traditional in-person voting for mail-in, telephone and online voting systems. That means they have lengthy voting periods.
For instance, as of today Hastings Highlands residents can begin voting online or by telephone. It’s the same for Carlow Mayo, Tudor & Cashel and Wollaston.
Faraday Township is promoting mail-in voting and says ballots can be sent in through Canada Post up to Oct. 17 to count.
Some municipalities will have their telephone and online voting period start next Monday, Oct. 17. That includes the Town of Bancroft and Limerick.
The election period ends on the evening of Monday, Oct. 24. More information about the election process can be found on each municipality’s website.
An Ontario Association of Municipalities report shows that interest in local elections is on a downward trend. In 2018, the average municipal turnout was under 40 per cent. It marked the third straight election with a declining average turnout.