As Chris Alexander steps back from the mayoral race and Brad Bradford gains momentum in the polls, the importance of every vote is not lost on Olivia Chow.
Recently, even Olivia nearly fell victim to a mix-up during advanced polling. With Olivia Chow listed as number nine on the ballot, just before her was another candidate named Braeden Chow.
Upon casting her vote, Olivia realized the potential confusion, admitting, “I just noticed there are two Chows on the ballot, and there is one before me. I looked at the Chow and I was about to vote for someone else,” she recalled with a chuckle.
However, the situation took a more serious turn by Thursday morning. Olivia expressed her concern about voters, especially those with English as a second language, mistakenly marking the wrong candidate due to the close proximity of the marks on the ballot.
In response to the issue, Olivia’s campaign team took to social media and email to urge voters to be extra vigilant when casting their ballots to avoid any mix-ups.
Meanwhile, Braeden Chow has yet to provide a comment on the matter, as CityNews seeks his input.
The situation has sparked discussions on platforms like Reddit, where some have criticized the ballot design for potentially leading to lost votes. Suggestions for improvement include bolding and capitalizing first names when last names are the same.
Overall, the concern remains that the ballot layout could result in unintended votes, highlighting the importance of careful consideration when selecting a candidate.
