2. The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures recommends that amendments to the Elections and Plebiscites Act are needed:

• To establish very clear requirements about signage and location of campaign activities.

o The distance of signs from the polling station and office of the returning officer would be the same, would be measured from the front door of the building and would be 25 m. The Chief Electoral Officer would have the authority to make exemptions.

o Campaign activities would similarly not be permitted.

o The exact words that would be required on campaign material could be identified in the law.

• To give the Chief Electoral Officer the authority to provide the voters’ list in a digital format, that can be manipulated, to all candidates.

o The authority for the Chief Electoral Officer to do this would be established in law to make it certain that it is permitted.

o The authority to provide the voters’ list to MLAs after the election period would be modified or deleted to minimize the appearance of preferential treatment.

• To permit the Chief Electoral Officer to collect information from certain key sources, such as the NWT Health Care Plan registrations list.

o The accuracy of the voters’ list could be improved without significantly increasing costs.

o The ability to acquire the NWT Health Care Plan list could be identified in law. This is the way the juror’s list is now established.

o The ability to acquire the student financial assistance student list could also be identified in law.

o These changes would also require supporting amendments to the Medical Care Act and the Student Financial Assistance Act.

• To remove the requirement that returning officers and other officials must be residents in the electoral district.

o By practice, appointing a resident would be beneficial, but it is not always possible.

• To establish and accelerate the voter identification processes at the polls.

o The use of “vouching” for voters could apply only in certain communities -- smaller NWT communities, where there are fewer transients. Returning officers in other communities would have to confirm all voters’ identification proving citizenship and residency in the electoral district. The types of acceptable identification documents could be identified in the law or its regulations.

• To prohibit the candidate from attending a polling station, except to vote.

• To prohibit candidates and any of their agents at that station from assisting voters in the voting booth.

o This would still leave friends or family who are not candidates’ agents at that station able to assist.

• To permit candidates’ agents to be present at the count of the early votes.

• To make the process for special ballots less complicated and faster.

o It could also permit students who are outside their district attending school to have the option of voting in that school electoral district or in their home electoral district.

o Additional research will be undertaken to identify specific solutions that could be considered.

Recommendations

17. That the Elections and Plebiscites Act be amended to establish detailed requirements about signage and location of campaign activities as follows:

(a) Signs and campaigning activities are to be prohibited within 25 metres of the front door of the polling station or the office of the returning officer.

(b) The Chief Electoral Officer is to have the authority to make exemptions from this requirement.

18. That the Elections and Plebiscites Act be amended to identify the exact wording regarding sponsorship which will be recorded on campaign material and the requirements for eligibility relating to size and location of the information on the materials.

19. That the Elections and Plebiscites Act be amended to give the Chief Electoral Officer the authority to provide the voters’ list in a digital format, which can be manipulated, to all candidates and to the elected candidates and MLAS immediately after the election period.

20. That the Elections and Plebiscites Act be amended to permit the Chief Electoral Officer to collect information from the NWT Health Care Plan registrations list and the student financial assistance student list. Further, that the Medical Care Act and the Student Financial Assistance Act be amended to support these changes.

21. That the Elections and Plebiscites Act be amended to remove the requirement that returning officers and other officials must be residents in the electoral district.

22. That the Elections and Plebiscites Act be

amended to establish a detailed voter identification process to be used at polling stations in NWT communities with the exception of certain designated small communities.

23. That the Elections and Plebiscites Act be amended to prohibit candidates and any other agents from assisting voters in the voting booth.

24. That the Elections and Plebiscites Act be amended to permit the attendance of candidates’ agents at the count of the early and advanced votes.

25. That the Elections and Plebiscites Act be amended to make the process for a special ballots list complicated, including permitting students who are outside their district attending school in the NWT to have the option of voting in that school electoral district or in their home electoral district.

Mr. Speaker, I will return this to Mr. Robert Hawkins, MLA, Yellowknife Centre.