Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to thank my colleague Mr. Bromley for bringing us to this point in the report.
Reused Signage
The committee heard a number of concerns about the valuation of signs reused from previous election campaigns. The committee believes it is unfair to value reused signs at their full cost for the purposes of calculating campaign expenses. Instead, reused signs should be valuated using a consistent standard based on accounting principles that reflect depreciated value.
Location of Polling Stations
The committee heard that some polling stations, particularly in the city of Yellowknife, were not as clearly identified as they could have been, and that some people were unsure of where they should go to vote. While the committee is aware that this information is available on the CEO’s website and elsewhere, more prominent signage identifying the location of polling stations would be helpful.
Government Advertising
The Legislative Assembly already places restrictions on advertising activities by Members during election years. However, there are no similar restrictions on government advertising. Government ads that feature Cabinet Members may be seen as conferring an unfair advantage. During the public hearing, the CEO advised that other jurisdictions have put in place some restrictions on government advertising during election periods. The committee recommends that the government review practices in other jurisdictions and develop appropriate guidelines for election year advertising.
Review of the CEO’s Recommendations
The CEO’s report includes 25 recommendations for amendments to the Elections and Plebiscites Act (the Act) and other changes to improve electoral processes. These recommendations are described thoroughly in the CEO’s report. For the purposes of this report, the CEO’s recommendations are described only briefly.
Polling Day
Polling day is currently the first Monday of October. In his report, the CEO suggested that having polling day on a Monday presents challenges for election administration and candidates, and may impede voter turnout. The CEO recommended that polling day be changed to a Saturday, or a day later in the week than Monday, or be declared a holiday.
In the absence of data supporting the argument that voter turnout is lower on Mondays, the standing committee is not prepared to support this recommendation at this time. However, the committee is agreeable to the CEO undertaking further research on this topic and providing the results to the committee at a later date.
Preliminary List of Electors
Under existing legislation, the preliminary list of electors is only available to voters at the office of the returning officer. Municipal voters lists are made available in more places, which makes it easier for electors to check whether they are registered and to provide any necessary corrections before the final voters list. The CEO recommends that the Act be amended to enable the CEO, during an election campaign, to communicate the contents of the list of electors to the public using the best available means. The standing committee agrees.Striking Names from the Preliminary List of Electors The CEO recommends the Act be amended to enable returning officers to strike names from the preliminary list of electors in cases where the returning officer is certain a person is no longer resident in the electoral district. The Act would also be amended to require the returning officer to post the names of persons struck from the list and to
update it daily during the revision period. The standing committee agrees.
Prohibition on Broadcasting
The CEO recommends repealing Section 104 of the Act, which prohibits broadcasting to promote or oppose a candidate’s election on election day and the day before. The standing committee disagrees. The committee does, however, appreciate the difficulties of interpreting the term “broadcasting.” The committee therefore recommends that the CEO undertake further research on possible definitions for “broadcasting” that would make the term clearer, and provide the results of that research to the committee.
Voting by Special Ballot
The CEO recommends amending the Act to change the period for mail-in ballots by enabling an elector to apply to the CEO to vote by special ballot up to two weeks before the issue of the writ for an electoral district continuing until the 10th day before
polling day, and to change the Act so that the CEO does not provide special ballots until after the close of the nomination period. The standing committee agrees.
Advance Poll
The CEO recommends repealing the Act’s provisions for advance polls, and that the CEO be directed to return to the Assembly with detailed recommendations to establish a new special voting opportunity for communities without a resident returning officer, similar to voting in the office of the returning officer. The standing committee agrees with directing the CEO to return with detailed recommendations for a new special voting opportunity for communities with fewer than 500 residents, but disagrees with eliminating advance polls in communities with 500 residents or more, as they seem to be working there.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to pass on the continued reading of the report to my colleague Mrs. Groenewegen.