Robert Fisher
Staff Reporter
BARRY’S BAY – Council for the Township of Madawaska Valley continued to discuss preparation for the 2026 municipal election at the Sept. 3 council meeting.
Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Suzanne Klatt read a report outlining her recommendations for election day polling stations and advance polls. Council previously passed a resolution to use internet voting and electronic vote tabulators. Council directed Klatt to bring back a report with the specifics of how the voting methods would be implemented.
Mayor David Shulist noted that the township received a petition with approximately 130 signatures asking the municipality to abandon electronic voting methods and vote counting and use hand-counted paper ballots; including mail-in for non-resident taxpayers, exclusively.
Klatt also read an email from an unnamed resident; she received nine emails in all, asking that council members pray on the Rosary because it will ward off, “atheism and the madness of men.” The writer continued to say, “Satan has now infiltrated the government, the judicial system and the church.”
“One thing I want to make very perfectly clear that I think people need to understand, you can still go and vote in person,” said Shulist and that council needed to make a decision “today.” Klatt reminded the mayor and council that they had already passed the resolution and if council were to change its mind, they would need to rescind the previous resolution.
“I will not rescind my motion,” began Coun. Mary Blank. She said she appreciates the concerns from the community, however, she has also heard from people who support the new direction for voting. “There’s a lot of misinformation out there.
“Right now, within our community, we are safe from many of the concerns people have about fraud. ‘I believe that the province and the federal government have proven that we, in Canada, are safe from any other places. Venezuela doesn’t matter.
“This is ridiculous,” Blank said. Shulist, who moved the original motion (Blank seconded), stated he would not rescind either.
Coun. Ernie Peplinskie asked for a recorded vote on the specifics of implementing electronic voting and vote tabulators, along with advance polling dates and locations.
Coun. Shelley Maika said the only reason she is considering using internet voting is because of the high number of non-resident property owners in the township. Maika is concerned that non-resident voters are not being given any other option than internet voting. She previously suggested voters could request a mail-in ballot.
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