Item - 2021.EX26.1

The Executive Committee recommends that:

1.  City Council amend Municipal Code Chapter 53, Elections, to authorize a mail-in voting program for the City's municipal and school board elections and by-elections, substantially in the form of the draft Bill attached as Appendix A to the report (September 2, 2021) from the City Clerk.

2.  City Council provide for the payment of rebates to individuals who make contributions to candidates for office on City Council by:

a.  amending Municipal Code Chapter 53, Elections, substantially in the form of the draft Bill attached as Appendix B to the report (September 2, 2021) from the City Clerk;

b.  maintaining funding from the non-program account to the Election Reserve Fund XR1017, at $1.2 million per annum beginning in 2022, to pay for the program in the 2022 general election; and

c.  directing that any election campaign surplus funds that become the property of the City according to the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 be deposited into the Election Reserve Fund XR1017.

The purpose of this report is to seek authority from City Council to implement mail-in voting in the City's municipal and school board elections. Taking lessons from the successful implementation of mail-in voting in the 2021 Ward 22 Scarborough-Agincourt Councillor by-election, this option would be made available to electors as an alternative to in-person voting beginning with the 2022 general election.

In addition, this report asks that Council implement a Contribution Rebate Program by adopting a by-law, in the form of the by-law attached as Appendix B, that applies to all future general elections and by-elections. City Council has authorized a Contribution Rebate Program for the payment of rebates to persons who make contributions to candidates for Councillor and Mayor for every general election and by-election since amalgamation by means of a separate by-law for each general election and by-election.