‘We want our vote to count’: Snowbirds worry over voting process for upcoming Ontario election

Local Snowbirds are worried about the voting process for the upcoming provincial election. CTV London’s Brent Lale reports.

Charlie Lewis is worried he won’t have a say in the next Ontario premier.

The St. Thomas, Ont. native is a snowbird who spends his winters with his wife Judy in Arcadia, Fla.

With the first winter election in the province in more than 40 years, he’s concerned he won’t be able to vote.

“Naturally we want to have our vote count,” said Lewis. “In this day and age, you would think that there would be electronic or some means of voting from away from home.”

Elections Ontario (EO) said the only way for people out of the country to vote is by mail.

“Go to our website and there you can fill out an application to get a vote by mail package that will be mailed to you with a tracker on it,” said Greg Flood, manager of media and outreach for EO.

“Folks will be able to track that and know when it’s coming. Once they receive that, they can fill that out, again through a special ballot. Noting the candidate they want to support, mail that back to us before 6 p.m. on February the 27th, and their vote would be counted as part of the upcoming Ontario election,” he explained.

It seems simple, but Lewis worries with just three weeks until the election, there won’t be enough time.

“We send things back and forth all winter and when we mail something up…It’s almost two weeks getting there, let alone getting back down here and back up in two weeks. I just can’t see it being possible.”

Flood believes if Lewis fills out the online application now, there will be time with express postal service.

“Anytime you have a snap election, it’s always a bit of a scramble at the last minute,” said Laura Stephenson, political science professor at Western University. “The goal is always to make sure that the maximum number of people can vote depending on their circumstance, but also to make sure that the votes are secure. At this point, voting by mail is the option that a lot of people who aren’t in town have to fall back on.”

She does believe that calling the election in February was not intended to prevent Snowbirds from voting. She also feels that EO is doing their best on short notice.

“I think they’ve made it very simple to do the application,” said Stephenson. “Follow the instructions to figure out what are options available to them. I hope a lot of people take advantage of this so that they can have their voice heard.”

In an article by the CMAJ Journal published in 2021, they note between 53,000 and 70,000 Ontarians aged 65 and over are snowbirds.

Lewis said just in the 500-home community park where he lives, there are 60 Ontarians.

If this process doesn’t’ work, voter turnout could be significantly impacted.

“I was taught, and I grew up with having the right to vote and making sure that I did vote,” said Lewis. “So that I when I say something, then I have a legitimate right to either complain or compliment the party in power. I just want to be able to vote and have it count.”

He’ll need to get online and fill out that application request, and hope that what EO promises will play out.