Media Release
New online tools help Hamilton voters prepare for municipal election
HAMILTON, ON - The City of Hamilton is piloting two new online tools – a voice query directory and a virtual assistant – to help residents easily access and find information about the upcoming municipal election on October 24, 2022.
“Alexa, Hey Google, where can I vote?”
Ask Hamilton is a voice query directory designed to provide users with instant access to current and accurate information about the 2022 Hamilton Municipal Election through their existing voice-enabled smart home devices enabled with Alexa, Google or on their smartphone.
Launch and access the Ask Hamilton voice query in three easy steps: For Amazon Alexa, enable or manually add the City of Hamilton Skill via the Alexa App. Next, say “Alexa, ask the City of Hamilton”. Then, ask a question. For Google, use “Hey Google, talk to the City of Hamilton and after following prompts, ask a question. More information about how to enable Ask Hamilton on different devices, as well as a detailed list of questions is available at hamilton.ca/elections.
On the City’s website, the new Elections Virtual Assistant is a chatbot tool that can be accessed on the elections-focused webpages. Users can type a question or topic about the upcoming municipal election in the search box to receive more information on the subject.
The City of Hamilton is piloting both online tools specifically for the upcoming municipal election to continue increasing access and reducing barriers to voting.
The City also released its Election Accessibility Plan 2022 with information on the City’s approach to achieving the following goals:
- ensure that electoral services are accessible to all eligible voters and candidates;
- engage with equity seeking and citizen advisory committees to help identify additional barriers to voting;
- identify and eliminate barriers for persons with disabilities; and
- create a positive and inclusive voting experience for all electors.
The new online tools, Accessibility Plan 2022, and other valuable information for #HamiltonVotes2022 is available at hamilton.ca/elections
Quick Facts
- Eligible voters in Hamilton can cast their ballot in a number of ways:
- Ballot on Demand poll locations at post-secondary institutions, select drop-in shelter locations and the Hamilton Regional Indian Centre to allow eligible students/voters to vote on site regardless of their ward on October 18, 2022.
- Advance Voting days to allow eligible voters the opportunity to cast their vote early on October 7, 8, 14 and 15, 2022.
- Election Day with 157 polling stations across all 15 wards, which includes at least one accessible location and tablet reader in each ward.
- Voting in the municipal election has a direct impact on the 70+ city services provided daily to City of Hamilton residents such as parks, recreation, transit and waste programs.
- Elected officials, like the Mayor and Councillors, are elected to represent the public and govern making important decisions, under legislation, that impact residents’ quality of life and determine how tax dollars are spent. For example, investment and growth decisions about local roads, recreation centres, parks, libraries, fire stations and other municipal services.
- School board trustees are elected members of a school board that make important decisions ensuring schools operate in compliance with the law and standards established by the Province to provide educational opportunities for students. For example, decisions that result in educational programs and services that are responsive to a diverse community of students.
- Eligible voters are Canadian Citizens over the age of 18 who reside or own property in the City of Hamilton and are not prohibited from voting under law.
- The City encourages and supports all residents over the age of 18 to take part in the election and vote this October.
One of the most important mandates of my role as City Clerk is to ensure that elections are accessible. By listening, learning and evolving with the community, we can more easily identify and remove barriers to voting. It is my hope that by using technology and tools in new ways for this election, we can help make the voting process as easy and accessible as possible for eligible voters in Hamilton this October.
Andrea Holland, City Clerk
The City of Hamilton is focused on continuous improvement, innovation and modernization. By introducing new technologies that allow those in our community to more easily access our services and information, we are ensuring that customer service remains at the forefront of the voting experience - both for this municipal election and in future.
Cyrus Tehrani, Chief Digital Officer & Director of Innovation
Tags
City & Council
Municipal Election
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