Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Report of the Chief Electoral Officer's Auxiliary Report: Issues Arising from the 2019 Territorial Election.
Your Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures is pleased to provide the Report of the Chief Electoral Officer's Auxiliary Report: Issues Arising from the 2019 Territorial Election.
The Elections Plebiscites Act, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to the present report administration election within six months of the election. The Speaker tabled Chief Electoral Officer's Report Administration in 2019 Territorial General Election on May 28th, 2020 and referred to the committee for review. Committee completed a review and presented to the Committee Report No. 9-19(2) to the Assembly February 23, 2021, that the report, committee made 19 recommendations. All recommendations were adopted by the Assembly on March 30, 2021. Three of those recommendations directed to the CEO to conduct additional research to report back to the Legislative Assembly within six months.
On March 29th, the Speaker tabled the Auxiliary Report of Chief Electoral Officer: Issues Arising from 2019 General Election. This report responded to these additional research requests. It included recommendation following the Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh by-election.
The standing committee met on April 4th, 2022, to September 22, 2022, to consider the report. Committee also considered issues the CEO discovered during the letter to the Speaker dated July 25th, 2022. The letter attached Appendix 1. Committee thanks the CEO for meeting with the committee to discuss these additional issues.
Casting the Vote from Anywhere
The CEO was directed to review on how Canadian jurisdictions allow residents to cast votes for their home electoral district from the polling station. This concern was raised by submission to committee earlier to review the elector must -- the multi-district community when went wrong. The poll was turned away, was redirected to another poll. The elector was discouraged in voting. Committee concerned that was impacted that they continued by counting the ballots. Timeliness and the results of ballots need to be sent to another polling district for counting. In this case, delayed reporting results.
The CEO identified that the options -- a few options that noted that the full-vote-anywhere model would require technology Elections NWT currently does not have. This includes the ability to print ballots in polling stations, the electronic tabulators to count to transmit the results. The CEO recommended Elections NWT trial vote-anywhere model during advance voting in the offices of returning officers. Under such system, during the advance period, the voter who normally lives in another riding when they are currently located that could go to the office of the returning officer where they can vote in their home riding. For example, if Paul from Sachs Harbour was in Inuvik for school and medical during the election, he could go to the office of the returning officer in Inuvik and vote.
The Advance Voting Period
The returning officers of Inuvik confirmed Paul is in the voters' list in Nunakput riding and issues a right [sic] on the ballot. A list of the candidates for Paul, also who voted for the ballot, would be sealed. The sealed ballot would be sent to Elections NWT headquarters the same way mail-in ballots would be treated, then counted, reported by the election officer, and included in totals for Nunakput.
Committee agrees with the Chief Electoral Officer's recommendations.
Recommendation 1
The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures recommends the Elections NWT trial vote-anywhere model during advanced voting in the offices of the returning offices. Committee recommends that necessary legislative amendments that are required to do such model be made.
Mr. Speaker, I pass this on to my colleague from Hay River South, Mr. Simpson. Thank you.