Lessons learned for Ontario's first pandemic election: chief electoral officer

Ontario's chief electoral officer says he has worked closely with Elections Canada to prepare for the province's first general election since the COVID-19 pandemic started.

Ontarians will hit the polls on June 2, and Greg Essensa, the province's chief electoral officer, said he and his team will apply a lot of lessons learned from the 2021 federal election.

That will include accommodations for physical distancing and ensuring staff and volunteers have access to appropriate personal protective equipment.

"And we can assure that all the health measures, whether it be masks, whether it be hand sanitizer, will be in place to ensure the health and safety of both the electorate coming in and the individuals working for us on election day," Essensa said.

Elections Canada came under fire in 2021 when it was reported that three remote First Nations in northern Ontario —Cat Lake, Poplar Hill and Pikangikum —  didn't have any polling stations. 

Tania Cameron, who has worked to address barriers for First Nations voters on reserve for years, told CBC News at that time that she was flooded with messages from people living in all three First Nations who were unable to vote.

"There was no indication that there would not be polling stations in those communities just because they got an advance poll," she said. "And that's ridiculous, because advance polls were held in towns and cities across Canada, and those towns and cities still get a polling station on election day."

But Essensa said Elections Ontario has taken steps to ensure that does not happen.

"We've begun working very early with many of the Indigenous communities. Our goal, our plan at this point is that we will be on every reserve in Ontario," he said.

To address other barriers to voting on reserve, such difficulties some people might have accessing appropriate ID, Essensa said Elections Ontario will now allow a band chief to make an attestation that a person is part of the reserve, and can vote there.

Another new addition for 2022 will be a new elections app, he said.

The app, which is part of a pilot program, will allow voters to check on their voting location and local candidates.

Although the writ for the election will be issued on May 4, Essensa said candidates can campaign in April.

"What they can't do at this particular point in time is they can't accept contributions or they can't expense funds," he said.