For the first time ever, Prince Edward Islanders will have the option to vote online, by telephone or by traditional paper ballot in the upcoming plebiscite on electoral reform.
The dates and rules for the plebiscite have been set and approved by executive council.
Voting will be held over a 10-day period, from noon on Saturday, Oct. 29 until 7 p.m. Monday Nov. 7.
Those who choose to vote online or by telephone can do so within this voting period. Every eligible voter will be issued a PIN (personal identification number) to use for Internet or telephone ballots.
Dates for traditional paper ballot voting within the voting period will be announced by the chief electoral officer.
Earlier this year, government passed legislation to allow 16- and 17-year-olds the ability to vote in the electoral reform plebiscite.
Executive council also confirmed there plebiscite ballot will be a ranked ballot with five options, as recommended by the Special Committee on Democratic Renewal.
The wording of the plebiscite question will be:
“Rank the following electoral system options in your order of preference, 1 through 5 (with “1” being your most preferred and “5” being your least preferred):
- Dual Member Proportional Representation
- First-past-the-post (the current system)
- First-past-the-post Plus Leaders
- Mixed Member Proportional Representation
- Preferential Voting
Voters in the plebiscite will be free to rank as many or as few of the five electoral options as they wish.
The election will be supervised by Chief Electoral Officer Gary McLeod.
Regulations passed by executive council stipulate that anyone who over the age of 16 on or before the last day of the 10-day voting period will be eligible to vote.
Only those who have been ordinarily resident of the province for the six months immediately before the last day of the voting period may vote in the plebiscite.
The rules also specify that a system election officer will monitor, maintain and audit the electronic voting system. This individual will also be responsible for generating a vote count of the Internet and telephone ballots.
The system election officer will be responsible for ensuring the system has “adequate security protocols to maintain the integrity of the electronic voting process,” according to the regulations.
Paper ballots will be counted under the direction of the chief electoral officer.
Using someone else’s electronic voting PIN, transferring, selling, gifting or depriving an elector of their PIN is prohibited.
Anyone who is found to be in violation of these rules will be subject to a fine of up to $2,000 and/or up to two years in jail.
The regulations, approved by executive council on June 28, will come into force on July 9.
MORE TO COME
For the first time ever, Prince Edward Islanders will have the option to vote online, by telephone or by traditional paper ballot in the upcoming plebiscite on electoral reform.
The dates and rules for the plebiscite have been set and approved by executive council.
Voting will be held over a 10-day period, from noon on Saturday, Oct. 29 until 7 p.m. Monday Nov. 7.
Those who choose to vote online or by telephone can do so within this voting period. Every eligible voter will be issued a PIN (personal identification number) to use for Internet or telephone ballots.
Dates for traditional paper ballot voting within the voting period will be announced by the chief electoral officer.
Earlier this year, government passed legislation to allow 16- and 17-year-olds the ability to vote in the electoral reform plebiscite.
Executive council also confirmed there plebiscite ballot will be a ranked ballot with five options, as recommended by the Special Committee on Democratic Renewal.
The wording of the plebiscite question will be:
“Rank the following electoral system options in your order of preference, 1 through 5 (with “1” being your most preferred and “5” being your least preferred):
- Dual Member Proportional Representation
- First-past-the-post (the current system)
- First-past-the-post Plus Leaders
- Mixed Member Proportional Representation
- Preferential Voting
Voters in the plebiscite will be free to rank as many or as few of the five electoral options as they wish.
The election will be supervised by Chief Electoral Officer Gary McLeod.
Regulations passed by executive council stipulate that anyone who over the age of 16 on or before the last day of the 10-day voting period will be eligible to vote.
Only those who have been ordinarily resident of the province for the six months immediately before the last day of the voting period may vote in the plebiscite.
The rules also specify that a system election officer will monitor, maintain and audit the electronic voting system. This individual will also be responsible for generating a vote count of the Internet and telephone ballots.
The system election officer will be responsible for ensuring the system has “adequate security protocols to maintain the integrity of the electronic voting process,” according to the regulations.
Paper ballots will be counted under the direction of the chief electoral officer.
Using someone else’s electronic voting PIN, transferring, selling, gifting or depriving an elector of their PIN is prohibited.
Anyone who is found to be in violation of these rules will be subject to a fine of up to $2,000 and/or up to two years in jail.
The regulations, approved by executive council on June 28, will come into force on July 9.
MORE TO COME
