Thanks to an online voting system that crashed Monday evening, the voting deadline in Bradford West Gwillimbury has been extended until 8 p.m. tonight.
About 51 municipalities around Ontario were affected by the slow down.
Dominion Voting Services, the company responsible for online voting in BWG, put the blame on a Toronto-based server hosting service it claims limited voting traffic for 90 minutes, between 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
That was enough slow down for several municipalities to officially extend the voting deadline.
How to vote in BWG
BWG residents can still vote by phone or Internet or at the Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library today between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m.
The website URL and phone number for Internet and phone voting were sent in the mail to local residents. Voters who did not receive this information in the mail can get it at the library today.
Official results are expected to be released after the polls close. The town is hosting an Election Night gathering at the Bradford and District Memorial Community Centre at 7:30 p.m.
Are the votes reliable?
The slow down "did not affect the integrity of the system in any way," wrote Caleigh Clubine, the town's community relations officer, in a press release issued Tuesday morning.
"All completed votes are safely stored, and only people who did not complete their vote and receive a final confirmation message will need to repeat the voting process."
Any voters unsure whether their vote was counted can log into the system with a voter ID or PIN, and the system will state whether they have already voted or can go through the process.
Since the voting system was restarted late Monday night, more than 500 people have voted in BWG, Clubine wrote.
"The service provider, Dominion Voting, has assured all affected municipalities that the issue has been resolved," she wrote.
Not sure who to vote for, or who’s running?
Check out the BradfordToday election page. We’ve got you covered with full coverage of all the BWG candidates — for council and the local school boards — including profiles and articles about where they stand on local issues, and what they said at an all-candidates debate.
What’s your ward?
This is where to check which ward you’re in, so you can select the appropriate ward councillor.
Are you on the voters list?
Here is where you can check whether you’re on the voters list.
Need help voting?
Here is a breakdown of exactly how the online and phone voting systems work.
If you would rather speak to a person about it, residents can get help voting at the BWG Public Library today until 8 p.m.
Still need more help?
For more information, contact the Town of BWG at 905-775-5366, ext. VOTE (8683), or email [email protected].
Did you have a problem voting? Tell us your story. Contact [email protected].
