Subsection 29(5) of the Elections Act provides that a person does not lose his or her residence by leaving his or her home or dwelling for a temporary purpose. The act does not define what a temporary purpose is or the length of a temporary absence. During the 1999 general election, a number of instances arose dealing with electors being temporarily absent from their home or residence and whether they were eligible to vote in a specific electoral district.
The Chief Electoral Officer recommended that the Elections Act be amended to prescribe the purpose and length of time for which an elector may claim a temporary absence from his or her electoral district.
The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures agreed that the purpose and length of time for which an elector may claim a temporary absence should be defined. However, in the absence of any definition of "ordinarily resident", members were reluctant to recommend a prescribed time limit on temporary absences. The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures will be offering no recommendation at this time and will be seeking legal advice on setting time limits on temporary absences.