The City of Estevan has announced that masks will be required when people go to the main polling station on Nov. 9 for the civic election.
In an email to the Mercury, the city said masks were encouraged up until Nov. 4, when the provincial government strongly suggested mandatory masks. The polling station for the civic election will be at the Estevan Church of God on Nov. 9 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
There were complaints and non-compliance issues from citizens in the advanced polls on Nov. 2 and 3, so now the city is taking further action to protect the workers.
If people do not want to wear a mask Monday, they are asked to use the drive-thru polling station at the Estevan Fire Rescue Service’s building from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
“Please enter this voting location at the south entrance off the alley on 13th Avenue and snake around the front of the building to the drive thru entrances,” said city clerk Judy Pilloud said. “An election worker will provide a registration Form R to declare your ability to vote and once your ID has been verified you will be given a ballot to complete.
“You hand this ballot back to the election worker and you drive out of the truck bay and exit east onto Souris Avenue North.”
There will be people directing traffic on site, so people are asked to drive slowly.
If there is any emergency requiring the fire department, voters are asked to stop and wait until all fire vehicles and personnel have cleared the property and voting will resume.
The first drive-thru polling station was held at the Estevan Fire Rescue Service building on Oct. 30. This is the first time it has been offered, as the city wants to ease the concerns of those voters who are hesitant to enter a polling station during a pandemic.
Mail-in ballots are also being offered.
The city has processed about 150 mail-in ballots as of last week, and the option is still offered, but Pilloud stressed that people need to understand that ballots must be received in the city clerk’s office by 4 p.m. on election day, or the ballot will be deemed spoiled.
The mail-in ballots will be counted on election day, rather than after the election. And once someone has declared they want to receive a mail-in ballot, they have to vote through that method; they can’t vote in person.
“I have had many calls on mail in ballots and people making sure they have the correct information to enable them to vote,” Pilloud said.
Due to COVID-19, there are no mobile polls, but there will be special polls. The city has made arrangements with care facilities to provide mail-in ballots and accommodate residents safely.
Pilloud said she has a wonderful group of election workers who have stepped forward to make this election successful.
“We have many returning workers, but also a few new faces. I could not accomplish this election alone and I am very grateful for Connie Spencer and all my workers.”
On election night, the votes will be phoned in to council chambers. Unofficial results will be released through the city’s website and social media.
It’s not known how long the results will take to tabulate, but the city used an electronic polling system for 2016 election and a 2014 councillor by-election that has sped up the process significantly.
Be sure to visit www.estevanmercury.ca on election night for full results.
