City Announces Plan to Protect Voter Access and Election Integrity Amid Postal Disruption

The City of St. John’s announced its plans to safeguard voter access and uphold election integrity in response to the ongoing postal disruption.

“The postal disruption has presented unprecedented challenges, but protecting both voter access and the integrity of our election is our top priority,” said Theresa Walsh, Chief Returning Officer and City Clerk with the City of St. John’s. “We have acted quickly to ensure residents have a fair and accessible way to cast their ballot. However, there are changes to the process that will require some patience as we work through the adjustments together.”

The City worked with CUPW Local 126 and Canada Post today to retrieve vote-by-mail kits that are currently being held at facilities. Unfortunately, there may still be ballots held within the postal system. The City can confirm that we have approximately 16,000 vote-by-mail kits returned through the mail or secure drop boxes. This represents approximately 50% of what was returned during the previous general election.

To ensure all affected residents can cast their vote, the City has implemented several measures outlined below.

Election Date Change

To ensure residents have time and access to vote, the municipal election originally scheduled for October 2 will take place on October 8.

This extension will provide the City with additional time to:

• Secure additional resources and equipment to support a potential higher demand for in-person voting.
• Launch a portal for residents to check the status of their ballot due to some kits still potentially being within the Canada Post system.

Ballot Status Look-Up

A new online Ballot Status Look-Up will be launched in the coming days, allowing residents to verify if their mailed ballot has been received by the City. Residents may also contact 311 or 709-754-CITY (2489) or email access@stjohns.ca for assistance once the portal is live.

Voters who have confirmed their ballot has not been received by the City have two options to cast their vote:

1. Vote in-person on October 8 at their designated Voting Centre in their ward between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. or;
2. Request a replacement ballot in advance of Election Day by calling 311 or 709-754-CITY (2489) or emailing election@stjohns.ca. Kits must be picked up at City Hall by October 7. Election staff will let you know when your kit is ready to be picked up.

For information on Voting Centres and secure drop-box locations, please visit StJohns.ca/Vote for details.

If your vote has not been received by the City and you are unable to vote in person or request a kit in advance, please contact 311 or 709-754-CITY (2489) or email election@stjohns.ca for assistance.

Additional Information