Thank you, Madam Chairman. Madam Chairman, Special Ballot and Experimental Voting Techniques.

The unique circumstances of the NWT require some innovation in how people register their ballot. We are dealing with individuals in isolated areas, extreme weather conditions, and very high transportation and communication costs. Anything which could correct a situation where it can cost over $1000 for an individual in an isolated situation to cast a ballot, would be a positive step. The Chief Electoral Officer believes that a mail-in special ballot system, used elsewhere in the world, could help overcome some of the barriers faced by voters in the Northwest Territories. He would also like other options such as tele-voting to be considered.

As well, there have been many problems with the current system of proxy voting, which is supposed to allow those who cannot get to the polls to vote. Recent developments in the NWT highlight the abuse possible with the current proxy system. Across the NWT, returning officers have indicated a general lack of understanding of the true purpose of a proxy vote. Issues such as what defines solicitation of a proxy vote are unclear and cause difficulties for both candidates and election officials. Many seats are won with narrow margins. The use of proxy votes and the potential for misuse under these circumstances heightens the need for a better way to deal with those who cannot get to the polls personally.

Recommendation 9

I move that this Committee recommends that special ballot voting be introduced, together with the testing of other voting procedures.