Reprinting ballots for $25K was the right move, candidate says

The Kitchener candidate who fought to have her middle name on the ballot for the municipal election says she's grateful the city has decided to reprint the ballots for her ward.

Regan Sunshine Bruss, who is running in Ward 2, was ready to take court action over her middle name being omitted from the ballot.

The city's website currently notes middle names are not included on the ballot and the Municipal Elections Act says it's up to the clerk to decide which names appear on the ballot.

The city saysit fully supports the clerk's initial decision to not include middle names for any candidate.

Late Friday, the city announced it will reprint the ballots to add Bruss's middle name.

Reprinting more than 19,000 ballots will cost approximately $25,000. That cost also includes reprogramming memory cards and tabulator machines used on election day.

• No 'Sunshine' on Kitchener candidate list as middle names not on ballot

Bruss says she thinks the cost could have been avoided.

"I understand this has cost the city and only wish this could have been addressed sooner, to avoid such cost. I have had no control over the cost, nor the initial decision. I have incurred financial costs myself to address this matter," Bruss said in an email to CBC K-W.

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"The fairness this will allow the voters, through the elimination of any confusion that would have been produced through this discrepancy, has been returned to this election. For this I am most grateful."

Brussis running against three other candidates: Fitzroy Vanderpool, Suresh Arangath and incumbent Dave Schnider.

The municipal election is Oct. 22.