Hamilton’s pandemic election: Will we know who won at the end of voting day?
A surge of mail-in ballots might leave the results of nail-biting local federal election races in question for days - and maybe even the national outcome.
About one million Canadians decided to skip an in-person pandemic vote and cast a ballot by mail - a record number, but fewer than earlier estimates of up to three million special ballots.
Still, in individual ridings decided by a tight vote" - say a few hundred ballots, for example - mail-in ballots could be the deciding factor in determining a winner, said Elections Canada spokesperson Nathalie de Montigny.
That could make for a nervous wait in close races because Elections Canada won't start tallying those mail-in votes until the day after the election, she said. Those ballots require special safeguards," said de Montigny, including a verification process to ensure a voter did not vote both in person and by mail.
(Pandemic election delays are also expected to prevent The Spectator from publishing full election results in Tuesday's print edition, but you can follow our latest coverage online at thespec.com and expect full results in Wednesday's print edition.)
No Hamilton riding made the top 10 list for most requests for mail-in ballots.
But 3,118 mail-in ballots were requested by voters in Hamilton East-Stoney Creek - a riding poll projection websites have declared a toss-up" between Liberal candidate Chad Collins and NDP candidate Nick Milanovic vying in an open race.
Similarly, 3,333 mail-in ballots were requested in Flamborough-Glanbrook, which also features an open race with no incumbent. In 2019, Tory David Sweet narrowly won the riding over Liberal Jennifer Stebbing by fewer than 1,700 votes.
This year, former mayoral candidate Vito Sgro is running for the Liberals against veteran Tory staffer Dan Muys.
The most mail-in ballots requested in the city came from Hamilton West-Ancaster-Dundas at 4,856, while 3,602 residents requested them in Hamilton Centre and only 3,027 residents on Hamilton Mountain.
By comparison, Victoria, B.C. voters were serious about avoiding election day lineups, requesting more than 12,000 mail-in ballots.
If you're voting on Monday, pandemic restrictions and a Hamilton staffing shortage may also slow you down.
Elections Canada said Friday it had yet to reach its ideal" recruitment target for polling workers. In Hamilton's five ridings, the agency was short up to 150 people as of Friday, but hiring continued, said de Montigny.
She said if the shortage persists, voters might see slightly longer waits" at the polls - so if you're trying to avoid a lineup, de Montigny recommended avoiding traditionally busy times like just after polls open at 9:30 a.m. and after dinner in the evening. (You can vote up until 9:30 p.m.)
In general, there are also fewer polling stations than in 2019 as a result of pandemic restrictions and challenges - and some interesting locations like tents and funeral homes, too. Check out The Spec's voting guide online for more information about what to expect.
On the upside, a record 5.8 million Canadians have already voted in advance polls, potentially easing fears about lineups on Monday.
Stringent COVID protocols, including physical distancing, one-way travel through polls and masking rules may also slow the flow of voting.
Poll workers have received training to deal with potential antimask episodes, up to and including calling in police" if voting is disrupted or workers threatened, said de Montigny.
Matthew Van Dongen is a Hamilton-based reporter covering transportation for The Spectator. Reach him via email: mvandongen@thespec.com