We go to the polls this weekend to elect a new group of local leaders to take the community through the next three years.
With just one week remaining in the mandate for members of District of Squamish (DOS) Council and the School District 48 Board of Trustees, residents are voting in a mayor, six councillors and three school trustees (see pages A10, A11 and A12 for more election coverage).
Robin Arthurs, the deputy chief election officer, said four advance voting days drew 549 voters to Municipal Hall. The advance voting for the general election in 2002 attracted 753 advance voters.
When the balloting was complete in 2002, votes were cast by 5,742 people and according to a report from Chief Election Officer Trudy Coates, that represented a 62.2 per cent voter turn out.
The voting process begins at 8 a.m. Saturday (Nov. 19) continuing until 8 p.m. Most people will cast ballots at Brennan Park. Voting is being made as simple and as accessible as possible. Arthurs noted that a special mobile poll will again travel to Hilltop House, Squamish General Hospital and the Senior Citizens' Home Society. The stops at those locations are scheduled for specific times.
"Curbside voting is available for people who can't make it into Brennan Park," said Arthurs. "We go right out to the parking lot. There's one or two every election. It is no problem, it is a service we offer."
The ballots this year will again be inserted into automated counting machines. Arthurs said three machines will be in place this year compared to just two in 2002.
For voters who are concerned about the privacy of their vote because the sheets are white and the pens are black. There are black privacy sleeves that can be used to transport ballots from the voting booth to the voting machine.
"We totally acknowledge that some people are concerned," said Arthurs.
The counting machines are expected to produce preliminary results by 8:15 p.m. Arthurs said it could be as late as 8:30 p.m.
Results from the SLRD Area D school district race between Lyle Fenton and Doug Hackett are being tallied manually so those results are expected later in the evening.
Results of the races within Squamish will be posted to www.squamishchief.com Saturday night and The Chief will publish a special election extra Sunday morning available at local grocery and convenience [email protected]
