Thank you, Mr. Chair. On behalf of the Board of Management of the Legislative Assembly, I am pleased to present Bill 26, An Act to Amend the Elections and Plebiscites Act.
This bill includes a number of changes to our elections legislation that were recommended by the Chief Electoral Officer and the Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures following their respective reports on the 2011 General Election.
These changes will result in: • more
accurate voters lists;
• better access to mobile polls and absentee
ballots;
• changes to the vouching rules, so that a voter
can vouch for another elector in the same riding even if they are not in the same polling division; and
• clarifications to some elections processes and
procedures that have raised questions in the past.
The bill will also strengthen the integrity of our electoral process by prohibiting elections officers and official agents from becoming candidates and by making it an offence to threaten a candidate or to impersonate an election officer.
Mr. Chair, those are my opening comments on Bill 26. I welcome any comments or questions Members may have.