In 2025, Cornwall City Council approved two major changes for the 2026 municipal election: introducing internet voting and reducing council size from ten to eight councillors. Following a record-low 28.6% voter turnout in 2022, council unanimously backed online voting in August to improve accessibility while safeguarding electoral integrity. “Any way we can increase voter turnout, we should pursue it. Period,” said Cllr. Dean Hollingsworth. In October, council narrowly passed a downsizing motion, reflecting 2020 public consultation where nearly 80% supported a smaller council. “Eight councillors plus a mayor will make us more efficient,” said Mayor Justin Towndale. Cllr. Carilyne Hébert cautioned the workload would shift to fewer people and pushed for a review of pay, but her motion was defeated. Both Hébert and Cllr. Claude McIntosh confirmed they will not seek re-election. Despite new tools for voting online, the core challenge remains: getting more residents to feel empowered to vote on October 26, 2026.
L’article Online Voting and Council to be Downsized est apparu en premier sur Cornwall Seaway News.
