Is voting worth the price tag?
That’s a question people living outside of Newfoundland and Labrador are asking themselves as they essentially have to pay to vote in the upcoming provincial election.
Voters who need to mail their ballots are responsible for paying the courier fees — which could be at least $34 — during the ongoing Canada Post strike.
“I’m not sure at this point if it’s worth it,” said Maria O’Neill, who is going to university in Antigonish, N.S.
At 21 years old, this will be O’Neill’s first time voting in a provincial election.
“I don’t think anybody should have to pay to vote at all,” she said. “Definitely not the amounts that it would cost to send through FedEx or UPS or Purolator.”
CBC News looked up quotes for those courier services, and found the cheapest rates from Antigonish to St. John’s range from about $34 to more than $100 depending on speed and company.
Typically, people who want to vote by mail can request a special ballot, which is delivered along with a pre-paid envelope to mail it back.
However, this year the Canadian Union of Postal Workers strike means voters can’t mail their ballots via Canada Post.
O’Neill said Elections N.L. called her to ask if she was returning back to Newfoundland for Thanksgiving, or if there was anyone she knew who could drop off her ballot for her.
If not, she would be responsible for covering the cost.
“I feel pretty helpless,” said O’Neill.
Daniel Fuchs is studying in Montreal, but still wants to vote in the provincial election.
“If it costs $50, I probably won’t pay for that, just to be able to vote,” he said he told Elections N.L.
Fuchs says Elections N.L. suggested finding other students who could share the cost of sending in their ballots. But that wasn’t an option.
“I’m kind of disappointed,” he said. “I know it’s expensive, but it seems like Elections N.L. should cover that.”
Fuchs said he found a friend who could have brought his vote back to Newfoundland — but he didn’t receive his ballot in time from Elections N.L.
CBC News contacted Elections N.L. about the vote-by-mail process, but the organization turned down interview requests.
“If you have chosen to have your vote-by-mail kit delivered by alternative service, you are responsible for returning to Elections N.L. by the established deadlines,” reads its website.
“You can choose to return the kit to any of the 70+ offices, or by the delivery service of your choice. You may also contact your nearest office to schedule a pickup if available.”
Elections N.L. said it has attempted to contact people who submitted a special ballot request before the postal strike began.
The deadline has now passed for requesting a special ballot.
Vote-by-mail kits must be sent back and received in St. John’s by Oct. 11 at 4 p.m. NT.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers did not answer CBC’s question about its plan for delivering mail-in ballots, but did send a statement on Friday about the state of negotiations.
The union has retrieved vote-by-mail kits left in the postal system for the St. John’s municipal election.
In a statement, Canada Post said it is “disappointed that the union chose to escalate their strike activity.”
On Friday, O’Neill was still deciding whether she’ll pay to vote, but she’s shocked there’s no measures in place for the possibility of a Canada Post strike.
As a first-time voter, she wants her opinion heard and her vote counted.
“It’s such a barrier to me,” said O’Neill. “I’m really worried about how many other people it’s going to affect.”
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