Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I am here to present Bill 8, An Act to Amend the Local Authorities Elections Act.
The amendments included in Bill 8 are intended to update and modernize the legislation to keep pace with the needs of local authorities in the Northwest Territories, and reflect the input of our partners, the NWT Association of Communities and the Local Government Administrators of the NWT. I would like to extend my thanks to these organizations for their advice and assistance, and to the participants on the peer review group who contributed a significant amount of time and energy over several years to the project to amend this legislation.
The most significant amendments authorize municipalities to have options in the election rules for additional voting opportunities, for electronic voting counting, for campaign contribution disclosure, and for deciding tie votes. Other amendments are designed to make elections more manageable, such as a shortened campaign period, automatic recounts, and increased authority of the chief municipal electoral officer to respond to
extraordinary situations that may occur during an election.
I look forward to hearing comments from the Members and answering any questions. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.