Life as a Scrutineer

Honestly, it wasn't much of an effort, though I was prepared to give it my all.

Never before have I followed municipal elections more closely than I did during the recent election, which came to an end last night. And it was an education that made me want to be more involved, next time.

For me, the choice for mayor was obvious. A candidate who had been a councillor for years, who had engaged with their ward and the city as a whole, and who was dedicated toward positive, solid change for our city.

Sadly, more voters saw a radio host with no experience as a better choice, and we'll have to live with that decision for the next four years.

I also researched the candidates in my ward who were running for school-board trustee. Even though my kids have moved on to college and university, and I no longer have any skin in the game, I wanted our area to be represented by someone who had the interest of students, who was inclusive and wanted every kid to reach their potential.

For my own ward, I also saw a candidate for city councillor who shared my values and was, from what I had learned from personal interaction, to be a decent human being. And so I backed him: not just with my vote and a lawn sign (I'm not much into lawn signs), but financially.

Not a lot of money, but more than I've ever given to a political hopeful.

I also volunteered to be a scrutineer for this candidate. This was the first time that I had ever done this and I felt a huge responsibility, even though, in the end, it really didn't take a lot of effort. Usually, I would show up at a polling station, cast my ballot, and then put my feet up, in front of the TV, and watch the results come in.

Not this time.

I told the councillor that I supported that I would show up at the polling station and ensure that the proceedings were done clearly and fairly. What that entailed, in reality, was that I be there for when the polls closed, watch that the procedures for tallying the votes was followed according to regulations, and verify whether my candidate lost or won.

I was also asked to take photos of the result printout and send them to my councillor's campaign manager, which I did. As soon as he saw the results, he texted me to say that I could leave.

Wilson Lo, getting the good news, next to his wife, Amelia.

I then went to the venue where my councillor was eagerly awaiting the election results. I already knew that he had won at the polling station that I was sent to, so it was a matter of seeing which other stations reported his success.

He won by a healthy margin.

My candidate was Wilson Lo, who is now the Councillor-elect of Ward 24, Barrhaven East. I'm proud to stand with him.

Wilson with some goofball.

Will I support him in the next election? Time will tell. But one thing is certain: I will be even more active in the next municipal election. I will volunteer to knock on doors. I will give more money. If asked, I will be a scrutineer again.

Last night was exciting. Though I didn't get everyone I wanted as part of city hall, I was satisfied with the election process.

Congratulations, Wilson!