Advance voting polls opened

A Northwood resident says the mobile voting van helped to make casting his ballot in this year’s municipal election easier than in previous elections.

City of Thunder Bay officials opened advance voting polls on Tuesday at the 55 Plus Centre and had the mobile voting van parked near the Interim Long Term Care Centre. Ray Smith had planned to visit his mother who lives in the centre and found the voting van parked outside.

"I got to visit my mother and I got to vote too; two birds with one stone," Smith said. ". It worked out very well. It’s very important to vote and very important to have accessibility. I love our city, it’s a great place to live and it is very important to exercise our democratic. It was just a coincidence but I’m very concerned about our city and the results of this election."

With a 38.5 per cent voter turn out in the 2006 municipal election, city clerk John Hannam said they want to bring the numbers up for the Oct. 25 election. He said the mobile van and other election advertising would help to bring more people to come out and vote.

"We expect as the week goes on that people will be looking for the mobile locations," Hannam said. "Historic averages range at about 50 per cent. We’d certainly like to see the turn out at least get back to that if possible. But everyone would like to see a voter turn out much higher than that."

Residents can vote throughout the week giving potential voters plenty of time to vote before Oct. 25 deadline, he said.

Over at the 55 Plus Centre more than 300 people had voted by 2 p.m. Hannam said there will be another chance to vote at the 55 Plus Centre on Wednesday, followed by West Thunder Community Centre on Thursday and Intercity Shopping Centre on Saturday.

The voting van will be at seven different locations over the next four days including TbayTel, Investors Group Building, Balmoral Commons, Lakehead University, Confederation College and the Whalen building on St. Paul’s street.