'It's an honour,' Staff at polling stations in Simcoe County riding are ready for voters
The federal campaign is at the halfway point, and all the pieces appear to be falling into place for voters and election workers in the riding of Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte.
"We are busy because there's so much behind the scenes," returning officer Maura Bolger said.
Bolger secured accessible spaces for voters and hired staff to make the democracy machine run for nearly 20 years.
She credits her former job as a school board trustee for helping her anticipate what could have been a curveball.
On Wednesday, CTV News learned that the Simcoe County District School Board and Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board had told Elections Canada its schools would not be available to use as polling stations.
"When the school boards were saying, 'We don't know,' I started to look for alternate locations, so I wasn't caught at the last minute," Bolger said.
She noted all voting locations had been booked for next weekend's advance polls.
A little over half of the 700 staff members required for Election Day have been hired; a benchmark Bolger said is in line with this point in the run-up to previous elections.
While some would-be election staff have decided to stay on the sidelines over COVID-19 concerns, Bolger said they aren't in big enough numbers to put staffing in jeopardy.
Bob George didn't give a second thought to returning to the job he's been doing for decades.
"It's my duty. It's an honour, and it's a privilege," George said.
For him, working in elections is a way to continue to give back after a career of service.
"I joined the army to preserve the beauty of this country and its democratic system," George said. "Then when I got posted overseas and saw other countries, I just see how blessed we are to have the country and the system we have. Some will say it isn't perfect, but boy, it's so much better than a lot of them. So I'm very proud to be part of that procedure," he added.
As a fully vaccinated resident, George feels the polling station will be safe for staff and voters.
The number of people sitting together has been reduced to respect physical distancing. Additionally, hand sanitizers and one-use pencils will be made available.
This spring, Elections Canada projected as many as a 3-million people might choose to vote by mail in a pandemic election.
By Thursday, 389,690 Canadians had registered to vote by mail ahead of the Sept. 14 deadline, compared to the roughly 50,000 people who dropped their ballot into a mailbox for the 2019 federal vote.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Israel attacks Iran, Reuters sources say; drones reported over Isfahan
Israel has attacked Iran, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters, as Iranian state media reported early on Friday that its forces had destroyed drones, days after Iran launched a retaliatory drone strike on Israel.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' murder case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn't over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
'Shopaholic' author Sophie Kinsella reveals brain cancer diagnosis
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.