Waterloo looks into at-home voting for upcoming municipal election

Waterloo City Centre is seen on Oct. 4, 2022. (Dan Lauckner/CTV Kitchener)

Some Waterloo voters may be able to cast their ballot from home during the upcoming municipal election.

At a City of Waterloo council meeting on Monday, councillors approved a motion to allow staff to look into setting up a bylaw for at-home voting. If the bylaw is approved, voting at home would only be for people who are unable to attend a polling station due to injury, illness or disability.

The idea involves a staff member going to a person’s home to accept their ballot.

“It’s difficult to find an accessible taxi or a way to get to the polling station. So this is another way to encourage voter turnout,” said Dorothy McCabe, Waterloo’s mayor, ahead the meeting.

McCabe noted that the person would have to contact the city clerk’s office in advance in order to verify their reason for at-home voting.

She also noted that other municipalities have tried at-home voting and it has been successful.

“We’re also going to continue what we call our super vote locations, because those were very, very popular in the last election. And we’re going to extend the advance voting hours over Thanksgiving weekend,” McCabe said.

Last year, the City of Kitchener approved a pilot project for at-home voting and drive-thru voting. Officials said the details on how the drive-thru voting will work will be revealed closer to the election.

The municipal election is October 26.