Support Richmond Hill residents’ right to choose flexible voting methods!

Richmond Hill residents and voters should have the option to vote online or by paper ballot in the 2022 Municipal Elections.

At the June 9th Council Meeting the Clerk will be presenting a report about voting methods for the 2022 Municipal Elections for Council approval. 
Read the Clerk's Report here 

The Council Accountability Group (CAG) feels that the decision on which voting method to use at the time of voting should be made by the voters based on their individual needs at that time. 

By signing this petition, you are supporting a request to council to approve a combination of online voting and paper ballot voting to give Richmond Hill residents the flexibility they need to make their own decisions.

To Richmond Hill Acting Mayor Joe DiPaola and Members of Council

WHEREAS by making voting more accessible, not only can we ensure and encourage a truer democracy, but also have a secure way for people to vote regardless of a pandemic, lack of transportation, personal or global related reason for not being able to make it to the polls;

WHEREAS three York Region communities already offered internet voting as an option for their residents during the last election.  The City of Markham is a leader in this area and have offered the internet voting choice since 2003.  Richmond Hill also successfully conducted the York Region Public School Board 2020 By-election using 100% internet voting so let’s build on that success;

WHEREAS according to the Association of Municipalities Ontario (AMO) 42.3% of voters used an internet option for voting in the 2018 municipal elections and 26.6% of voters used paper ballots.  How votes are cast continues to move to technology-based methods. 178 out of 417 municipal governments offered internet voting as an option for the 2018 elections;

WHEREAS for some, voting from home could be a matter of “everyday life issues”. Cited as the reasons for internet voting, including mobility issues, illness, inclement weather, the increasingly busy balancing of work and family life and those who are studying away, or away on vacation, business or serving in the military;

WHEREAS modernizing Richmond Hill’s voting methods is needed to reflect 21st century realities and today’s digital generation;

THEREFORE, we the undersigned residents of Richmond Hill, Ontario petition Richmond Hill Acting Mayor Joe DiPaola and Members of Council to:

Give Richmond Hill voters the flexibility to choose what voting method works best for them by approving a combination of voting methods to include both internet voting and paper-based voting options for the 2022 Municipal Elections.

By signing this petition you give consent to the Council Accountability Group Richmond Hill Inc. to disclose your name to the City of Richmond Hill for the purpose of publishing this petition on a Richmond Hill Council Agenda.