Whitehorse municipal election adds more polling locations

While municipal candidate hopefuls are starting tobolster supportin Whitehorse, elections workers are finalizing voting logistics.

Whitehorse's returning officer NormaFelkersays she hopeschanges to the voting processwill make it easier than ever to cast a ballot, increasingvoter turnout on Oct. 15.

"People can vote this time around wherever it's convenient rather than where they live because we're using an electronic list of electors and we've never done that before," she says.

There will be also be more voting stations andmore elections workers.

"We wanted to take the election to where it was convenient," she says.

Each election, mobile voting stations are set up at the jail, hospital and seniors' residences. Previously, only patients could vote at the hospital, but this year, Felker sayshospital workers and visitors will also be able to take advantage of the mobile voting station.

For the first time,one of the mobile stations will spend several hoursat the Kwanlin Dun Village, she says.Additionally, there will be an extra voting station downtown and one at Yukon College.

Incumbent Mayor Dan Curtis says it's a challenge to get people out to the polls.

"I know that last [municipal election]we had only 43 per cent of the people voting. I think it's a shame that it gets overshadowed by the territorial and federal elections."

Council nominations open

Whitehorse residents interested in running for city councilhave from today until Thursday, Sept. 24 to submit their requiredpaperwork. Felker says about 20 packages have gone out but it's no guarantee of interest.

"We could be inundated [with candidates] or it could be very small, and we have no way to guess," she says.