The Township of Madawaska Valley prides itself on having good voter turnout, but residents there will have to pick it up if that success is to continue.
In 2018, about 60 per cent of eligible people cast ballots in the municipal election. That was well about the provincial average rate of just under 40 per cent.
Township Deputy Clerk Gwen Dombroski tells Moose FM that voters have been a little slow to return ballots through the mail so far this year. As of Wednesday, only about 32 per cent of ballots had been returned.
“It is down, but we still have six days to go,” she said in an interview on Wednesday. We’re hoping that by October 24th at 8 p.m., we’ll have a lot higher turnout.”
On Madawaska Valley’s historically high voter turnouts, she said, “we still think we can do better.”
She added that candidates, past and present have worked hard to encourage voting.
“Our candidates have been out knocking on doors, introducing themselves and helping people put a face to a name. I think this interaction helps with residents making decisions, getting them involved in politics and reminding them to vote.”
Dombroski says the town hires extra staff in the election season to help update the voters list and count ballots on election day.
Madawaska Valley has a mail-in voting system, but people can also drop ballots off at the Bay Street municipal building or at the hockey rink on the final voting day of Monday, Oct. 24.
