[PDADC-L] Accommodations for Students Voting in the Municipal Elections - October 25, 2010

PDAD&C#13, 2010-11

To: PDAD&C
From: Cheryl Misak, Vice-President & Provost
Date: September 21, 2010
Re: Accommodations for Students Voting in the Municipal Elections - October 25, 2010.

In the interests of encouraging civic and community engagement among our students, I request that whenever possible, reasonable accommodation be provided to students wishing to vote in the upcoming municipal elections.

There may be circumstances when a scheduled academic activity (such as a test or mid-term exam) may interfere with a student's ability to vote. For instance, since the polls do not open until 10:00 a.m. (in both Toronto and Mississauga), a student who is a full-time employee and attends class in the evenings might find it difficult to travel back to his or her electoral district to vote.
Please ask instructors who have scheduled compulsory and/or graded academic activities on October 25th to raise the issue with their students at the earliest opportunity.

Should instructors have an academic activity scheduled on October 25th, they should encourage students to use a method that will cause the least amount of disruption to their classes-voting by special ballot or at advance polls. But In circumstances when students have not used one of these methods, every reasonable opportunity should be given to them to make up work that they miss.
If you have any questions about election-related issues as they relate to students of the University of Toronto, please contact either Mike LeSage or Jim Delaney.

For general issues and information related to the municipal elections: Mike LeSage, Research Analyst, Government, Institutional and Community Relations mike.lesage@utoronto.ca / 416.948.2220

On accommodating students who wish to vote: Jim Delaney, Director, Office of the Vice-Provost, Students jim.delaney@utoronto.ca / 416.978.4027