11 | durhamregion.com | This Week | Thursday, May 5, 2022 | From a new smartphone app to a longer advance poll period, Elections Ontario is pulling out all the stops to ensure voting goes as smoothly as possible for the upcoming election. "Our role is really to ensure that everyone Ontario knows when, how and what they need to do to vote," said Ontario's chief electoral officer Greg Esesnsa on his visit to Oshawa on April 20. Essensa's been stopping in municipalities across the province to meet with staff and help them gear up for the June 2 election. ADVANCE POLLS New this election will be 10 days of advance voting. "This now means we have the most advance poll sites in the country," Essensa said. Traditionally, 90 per cent of people vote on election day, and this will allow some extra time. He said the voter turnout is around 57 per cent. COVID-19 SAFETY New this year, COVID-19 safety protocols will be in place. Wearing a mask will be optional for voters under the current guidelines, but safety elements will be in place, such as physical distance signage, masks and shields for staff, partitions installed and enough masks for each voter in case they would like one. CONVENIENCE Elections officials will do home visits to accommodate people who cannot get out to vote. People can apply to vote by mail until May 27. Elections Ontario plans to go into all 240 hospitals across the province as well. "We will effectively go bed-to-bed to facilitate the vote," Essensa said. A NEW APP A smartphone app is a new pilot project this year for Ontario residents. It contains all the information voters need in one easy spot, from a list of candidates to maps of polling stations. The personalized program will even give users an electronic voting card. Voters can choose how they wish to receive alerts regarding important information, from texts to emails to push notifications. "What it really does is it allows the consumer, the elector, to really determine how they wish to communicate with us," Essensa said. Go to the Google Play or the App Store to download the Elections Ontario app. WHAT TO DO NOW? Those thinking of voting should visit the Elections Ontario website and make sure their information is correct. "What's most important really is when an elector shows up with that voter information card and one piece of ID, the process is easy," Essensa said. JOB OPPORTUNITIES "On election day, (we) employ over 55,000 people, so if you can give us a day, we likely have an opportunity for you," Essensa said. For more information, visit elections.on.ca. IMPORTANT VOTER INFO FOR PROVINCIAL ELECTION KRISTEN CALIS KCalis@durhamregion.com PROVINCIAL ELECTION THE PROVINCIAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN KICKED OFF ON MAY 2 Greg Essensa, Ontario's chief electoral officer. Jason Liebregts/Metroland A contract to conduct basement renovations turned into a nightmare of broken promises and legal action, a Bowmanville homeowner says. Aamir Amla has spent months pursuing the contractor he says accepted a hefty down payment for the job, then vanished without completing it. "I've lost sleep," Amla said of his dispute with Trusted Remodelling and its owner, Janarthanan (Jay) Sathianathan. "It affects me. It affects my family." Sathianathan, 31, of Ajax, has now been charged by Durham police with nine fraud-related offences. The charges, announced April 21, relate to three complainants and come months after Amla and others filed reports with police last year. "An investigation began in June of 2021 and three complainants have come forward, claiming they signed contracts with the company and provided down payments for home renovation projects," police said in a media release. It's alleged homeowners have been defrauded of more than $28,000, police said. The allegations against Sathianathan have not been proven in court. Sathianathan did not respond to a request for comment. Amla, who says he's been in contact with other complainants, has a copious file on his dealings with the company. According to a complaint filed with the provincial Ministry of Government and Consumer Services, Amla hired Trusted Remodelling in late June of 2021 to complete a basement renovation in his home on Bruce Cameron Drive. The total cost of the job was $36,900, and the 13-page contract stated work was to begin July 8 and was scheduled to be done in a little over a month. Amla, according to the complaint, made a down payment of $18,450. Some lumber arrived at the house shortly after the contract was signed and a subcontractor did some framing, but eventually those workers ran out of material and left the job, Amla said. "We have not received any services for the money we gave Jay and are running around to get our money back from him," Amla wrote in the complaint. Amla formally advised Sathianathan in late August of 2021 he was terminating their contract and demanded a refund of his down payment within 15 days. Amla filed a report with Durham police as well. Amla also pursued the company in court, filing a small claims suit in an attempt to recoup his money. On Dec. 9, 2021, the court issued a default judgement against Sathianathan, ordering him to pay Amla $18,450. In addition to filing lawsuits and formal complaints, Amla said he visited Sathianathan's residence in an attempt to talk things out with him. On Jan. 4 of 2022 Sathianathan and Amla co-signed an agreement outlining terms of payment of the judgement. The document indicates Sathianathan agreed to pay Amla a total of $13,950, to be made in three monthly installments beginning at the end of that month. Sathianathan put up two vehicles - a Dodge Ram and a Honda CRV - as collateral, according to the document. In return, Amla agreed to withdraw the complaint he'd made to Durham police and his lawsuit, according to the document. "Agreed by both parties," the last line of the agreement states. Amla said that when the date for the first payment of $4,800 arrived on Jan. 31, he did not hear from Sathianathan. "He did not respond," he said. "He just vanished." Now that police have laid charges, Amla is hopeful some justice will come to him and others who claim to have been defrauded. "That's what my goals was," he said. "To prevent other people from being victimized." CONTRACTOR CHARGED BY POLICE DEFAULTED ON RENO: HOMEOWNER JEFF MITCHELL jmitchell@durhamregion.com NEWS Aamir Amla is a Bowmanville homeowner who went to police after a contractor took money for home renovations and then failed to follow through on the job. Jason Liebregts/Metroland