News Release

FREDERICTON (GNB) – Chief electoral officer Kim Poffenroth tabled a discussion document today before members of the standing committee on procedure, privileges and legislative officers.

The document, entitled Modernizing New Brunswick’s Electoral Legislation, contains 108 recommendations which propose amendments to the Elections Act, the Political Process Financing Act and the Municipal Elections Act.

“The changes that we are proposing are largely operational in nature,” said Poffenroth. “They will enhance voting procedures in New Brunswick and align the rules related to political financing with the realities of campaigning under fixed-date elections. Some recommendations will require the political will to relinquish long-standing practices that favour the governing party.”

According to Poffenroth, making these recommendations is an important step in achieving Elections New Brunswick’s strategic goal of increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the electoral processes it oversees.

The recommendations include:

• Eliminating the political appointment of the returning officers who manage provincial and municipal elections and establishing a competitive, competency-based hiring process.

• Eliminating the restrictions on advertising on election day and the day preceding.

• Creating a register of “future electors.”

• Establishing a new role of financial agent, who would be responsible for all financial matters of a political entity.

• Introducing one comprehensive financial return for district associations and their candidates for filing in election years.

• Introducing vote-by-mail for any municipal byelection or local service district plebiscite held between general elections.

“Although members of the legislative assembly establish electoral legislation, the chief electoral officer is the individual charged with administering this legislation,” said Poffenroth. “In this role, it is incumbent that I make recommendations for legislative amendments for the better administration of the electoral process and the political financing process.”

Elections New Brunswick invites all interested individuals, including stakeholders with direct ties to the electoral processes administered by the organization, to review the recommendations and offer feedback before Monday, Sept. 30. The feedback received will help to form the final recommendations that will be submitted to the government for modernizing the various pieces of legislation.

The discussion document is available on the Elections New Brunswick website.