Notes from the regular Council meeting, which was held on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
Alternate Voting Method for the 2026 Municipal Election
Staff initially brought forward a report on Wednesday, April 2, outlining options for a voting method in the next municipal and school board election, which is scheduled to take place on Monday, October 26, 2026.
At that time, Sarah Matheson, Clerk for the Township of Blandford-Blenheim, explained that there were four voting options to choose from including: the traditional paper ballot method, the vote-by-mail method, the vote by internet and telephone method, or the hybrid method.
The Clerk added that according to a post-election survey conducted by the Association of Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario (AMCTO) after the last election in late 2022, that internet voting is becoming the preferred method of conducting an election.
“Fifty-eight per cent of municipal respondents used internet voting for the 2022 municipal and school board elections,” said Matheson. “Locally, the Town of Tillsonburg and the Townships of East Zorra-Tavistock, South-West Oxford, and Zorra all voted online in 2022, and to my knowledge, plan to do so in 2026.”
She also explained that while the link between internet voting and higher voter turnout has not been definitively established, it offers the potential to “engage younger voters while providing a convenient, efficient, and accessible method for individuals to take part in the electoral process.”
At the May 7 Council meeting, Dean Smith, President and founder of Intelivote Systems Inc., made a virtual presentation to Council explaining how an online system would be used and provided various solutions for any questions or concerns in regards to ease of use and security.
During the May 21 meeting, Mattheson provided Council with an early cost estimate of $40,000 (to be funded by the Elections Reserve Fund) for implementing internet and telephone voting, noting that the amount was subject to change based on procurement and any complexities that may arise.
Speaking to the method, the Clerk said that internet and telephone voting offers secure, accessible and modern alternatives that aligns with trends across Ontario.
“The system allows voters to cast their ballots securely from home using a computer, tablet, smartphone or even a landline telephone,” said Mattheson. “Voting is available over a number of days, increasing flexibility, reducing pressure of having a single election day, and avoids issues related to weather, time constraints or limited mobility. If Council supports this direction, we will undertake a clear and proactive community engagement strategy with public information sessions, guides, in-person voting help centres and outreach to seniors or residents who may not be comfortable with technology.”
Councillor Bruce Banbury later asked if the program would be able to accommodate people who are deaf, blind or both, and Mattheson said “depending on the disability, through the AODA [Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act], the clerk would assist with voting.”
Councillor Tina Young said that while people are sometimes hesitant to try something new, she hoped the method would be a good opportunity for people to get out and vote, and Mayor Mark Peterson mentioned that he hopes the method will encourage more people to vote.
Township Council then approved the use of internet and telephone voting for the next municipal and school board election, and directed staff to prepare a 2026 Municipal Election Method of Voting By-Law for consideration at a future meeting of Council.
2025 AORS Municipal Public Works Trade Show
The Oxford County Road Supervisors Association will be hosting the 2025 The Association of Ontario Road Supervisors [AORS] Municipal Public Works Trade Show at the Woodstock Fairground on Wednesday, June 4 and Thursday, June 5, 2025.
According to the AORS website, the two-day trade show “provides an opportunity for public and private sector public works professionals to share information and technical developments in the materials, services and equipment required to build and maintain municipal roads and other core infrastructure. It also allows suppliers of municipal equipment, products and services to meet with customers from across the province in one location, and develop new business relationships and explore new territories as it moves around the province.”
Dennis O’Neil, the AORS’ Member Services Coordinator, said that this year’s trade show is expected to have a great turnout, and invited members of council and staff to attend.
“Typically we would have about 200 vendors at the show but this year, we’re going to be close to 300,” he said. “Both the arena and the Oxford auditorium are sold out and the outdoor is sold out, although we can expand it a bit because it’s at the fairgrounds, so we can add booths around the track.”
Jim Borton, who not only serves as the Chair for the Oxford association but the Township’s Director of Public Works, then confirmed they’re now expecting around 321 booths to be set up.
O’Neil said it was because of Borton and the rest of the local association, that they’re also expecting close to 3,000 visitors who will be able to check out a variety of machines while they’re there.
“There’s going to be everything from dump trucks to graders, new machines, and sidewalk machines,” he said. “We also have a demonstration area this year, which is the very first for our show, with electric equipment like chainsaws and mowers.”
Borton later mentioned that they’ve also invited around 200 local students to attend the volunteer-run show.
“We’ve gone to the local schools, and we have around 200 students that will be coming to the show; we’ll have them sit through a brief presentation on public works, and then they’ll be able to attend the show.”
He said that while the show is completely free for people to attend, he recommended that they pre-register on the AORS website to ensure a faster entry time.
O’Neil said that the last time the show was held in Oxford County was in 1994, and at that time, the show raised around $30,000.
“What the Association decided to do with the funds at that time, was put the money into a bursary at Fanshawe College in London. Later on in the early 2000’s, we vested that money with the college, and at that time the province was matching the amount that we vested. I believe there’s now about $80,000 in that account, and the interest from that goes to two or three students every year.”
He said that this time around, the local association has a few different plans.
“There’s going to be some money that’s going to be left in the Oxford County funds to help train future or current employees, and then the remainder is going to be split between the hospitals and the food banks,” explained O’Neil. ‘So 75 per cent of the funds raised will go towards the three hospitals in the County, and 25 per cent towards the food banks.”
He added that he thinks there will be around $50,000 that will be generated for the municipality.
“The split is, 60 per cent of the profit from the show goes to AORS and that helps to operate our operation throughout the province, and then 40 per cent stays here. So of that, 40 per cent, that’s what the the local association plans to do with those funds,” said O’Neil. “Not to mention, the hotels are all full, the restaurants will get business, and there will be all the other revenue that will be generated from the week-long stay as a lot of people are coming on the Tuesday for the Ross McKenzie Memorial Tournament.”
For those who are interested in attending the trade show, registration and more information can be found here: https://aors.on.ca/events/aors-trade-show/
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
