An enumeration of all eligible voters in Prince Edward Island will be carried out to compile the official voters list for the upcoming 17 April 2000 provincial general election.
The federal government has recently established a permanent registry of electors that is maintained by Elections Canada. However, Prince Edward Island as well as most of the other Canadian provinces have current electoral legislation that states that an enumeration of electors must be conducted for each provincial general election. Prince Edward Island's Chief Electoral Officer, M. H. Wigginton, says that under Prince Edward Island's Election Act, the enumeration of electors must begin by Thursday, and be completed within five days, by Tuesday, 28 March 2000.
Two enumerators will call on each household in the province seeking the names, addresses and occupations of each eligible elector within each household. Once the enumeration form is completed, a copy will be left at each household. Enumerated electors are asked to please keep their copy of the enumeration form as this contains the dates, times and locations of the advance polls as well as for the ordinary poll on election day.
Should it happen that an eligible elector be missed during the general enumeration, he or she will still be able to get his or her name on the official list of electors by registering with the Returning Officer of his or her electoral district. Four days have been set aside for the registration of any eligible elector who might have been missed during the enumeration. Registration will begin on Friday, 31 March and will end on Tuesday, 4 April, 2000.
A complete list of the Returning Officers for the 27 electoral districts in the province will be published in the daily newspapers. This list will include the name, address and telephone number, and, where applicable, the fax number of each Returning Officer as well as the Electoral District each represents.
Chief Electoral Officer Wigginton said, "the enumeration of electors is very important in compiling the official voters list for the general election. It is especially important that all eligible electors should make every effort to have his or her name on the official list of electors by cooperating with the enumerators when they call."
To be eligible to vote in the 17 April 2000 general election a person must be 18 years of age on or before Election Day, 17 April 2000; must be a Canadian citizen, must have been resident in Prince Edward Island for at least six months prior to the date the writ of election was issued and as well must be a resident of his or her electoral district on the day the election was called.
Further information regarding the eligibility of electors and the enumeration process for the April 17 general election may be obtained by contacting Elections P.E.I., 180 Richmond Street, 2nd floor, P.O. Box 774, Charlottetown, P.E.I. C1A 7L3, telephone (902) 368-5895; toll free at 1-888-234-VOTE (8683); fax number (902) 368-6500, or on the World Wide Web at http://www.gov.pe.ca/election/.