Like many other municipalities in Ontario (197 to be exact), Municipal Council initially approved the switch to Internet Telephone voting from vote by mail for the 2018 election. There are many advantages to adopting this method of voting: Emergency Preparedness: Voting by Internet or Telephone does not require any large gatherings at polling stations, and allows voters to vote from the comfort and safety of their home if future emergency stay-at-home orders are issued due to the Pandemic; Efficiency: reduces printing, return postage fees, staff time for vote counting, and the amount of paper utilized; Accessibility: Internet Telephone Voting is a convenient option for electors allowing them to use their own devices and access their ballots anytime during the voting period, and from anywhere with Internet or Telephone access; Accuracy: Internet Telephone voting uses electronic ballots exclusively reducing counting error from manual tabulations; Automatic Tabulation: 100% of the results will be available shortly after 8:00 p.m. on October 24, once electors have completed their voting (if they logged in before 8:00 p.m. or were in line at the Voter Help Centre shortly after 8:00 p.m.); Convenience: Thousands of Hastings Highlands non-resident electors do not live in Hastings Highlands, and therefore should be given the equal opportunity to vote as those who live here. Every elector will be able to vote from a location of their convenience. Also, compared to vote by mail from the 2014 and past elections, voters will no longer need to find a postal box, or rely on the postal service to ensure their ballot was returned back to the Municipality.