Kitchener opens advance polls

Five community centres in Kitchener will host advance polls today. The polls will continue tomorrow through the hours of 2:00-8:00 PM each day. There will also be an opportunity to cast an early ballot on Saturday from 10:00-4:00 PM.

City clerk Randy Gosse tells 570 News the advance polls are made available for people who might be out of town on election day (October 25th) but adds they’re also convenient for those looking for a shorter wait at the polling station as advance polls tend to move quicker because fewer people take advantage of them.

In 2006, about 2500 Kitchener residents voted at advance polls, representing about 2% of the total voter turnout. Gosse would like to see that number double or even triple this year.

Unlike in past years, voters are not assigned to any one advance poll. Gosse says we’re welcome to stop in to whichever polling station is closest to our home or work and cast our ballot there.

Also new this year is what’s called an “accessible tabulator,” which allows the visually impaired or physically disabled to more easily cast a ballot.

“They can use a system where there’s an audio ballot and they actually listen to the ballot and all the candidates before making a selection,” explains Gosse. “The ballot is then printed and put through the tabulator for tabulation.”

You should have received a voter card in the mail by now. Gosse says that card and two pieces of photo ID (preferably a driver’s license and health card) are all you need when you head to the polls.

Advance polling locations in Kitchener are at the following community centres:

Breithaupt – 350 Margaret Avenue
Country Hills – 100 Rittenhouse Road
Doon Pioneer Park  – 150 Pioneer Drive
Forest Heights – 1700 Queen’s Boulevard
Stanley Park – 505 Franklin Street North

Advance polls have already been held in Cambridge, Waterloo and Wilmot Township.

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