Returning Officers: Keeping Things Organized

EDITORS: This is the fifth in a series of feature material provided by Communications Nova Scotia as voters prepare to cast ballots in the March 24 general election.

By Communications Nova Scotia Staff

Smooth-running elections don't just happen. In Nova Scotia, they're due in no small measure to the extraordinary dedication and keen organizational skills of 52 returning officers.

Consider Harold Kilroy, one of the longest-serving returning officers in the province. He's served in a Dartmouth electoral district since 1974, and he'll tell you it's no easy job. But being organized and knowing what's expected under the Elections Act help to guide the process along.

"Experience helps, too -- and a good election clerk," says Mr. Kilroy, who began as returning officer for Dartmouth South before moving to Dartmouth East in 1978 following changes to electoral boundaries.

The responsibilities of a returning officer -- there's one for each electoral district -- are to train enumerators, deputy returning officers and other polling staff, ensure enumeration is completed, set up polling stations, and generally oversee the voting process in his or her district. This includes planning for special and advance polls in addition to election day.

Many other administrative details also demand attention. A returning officer has to secure and furnish headquarters and polling stations, confirm printing arrangements for lists, cards and ballots, label and mail enumeration cards to voters, issue transfer certificates and proxy papers, ensure certain polls are wheelchair accessible -- and the list goes on.

But that's organizational. For Mr. Kilroy, the most rewarding aspect of the job is helping out voters and answering their questions.

"You have to be quite knowledgeable about the Elections Act, and every year you get new questions," he said. "Some are process questions, like how to get on the voters' list if you weren't enumerated, or what electoral district a person belongs to, and giving immediate directions to a polling station."

But to get to election day, the returning officer must first ensure as accurate and as comprehensive a voters' list as possible is drawn up. And that, for them, means enumeration is the busiest time of the election process.

Besides training 68 enumerators for his district, Mr. Kilroy was available for questions at all times during enumeration week, which occurs shortly after the election is called. Afterward, he and the election clerk checked every name the enumerators registered to ensure the information was correct. In Dartmouth East, that was more than 11,000 names.

Everything runs on a schedule, says Mr. Kilroy, and organization is key to keeping to that schedule so everything is ready for election day.

"For a period of seven days (around enumeration) we work approximately 12-hour days trying to keep on schedule. And as election day nears, the days get long again."

All that work, and he doesn't even get to vote. Under the Elections Act, returning officers do not vote unless it is to break a tie. The last time this happened was in a 1954 byelection in Hants East.

In the end, though, Mr. Kilroy says it's all worthwhile and looks forward to continuing as a returning officer for many more elections -- even if it means cutting short a Florida vacation, as he did this year when the election was called.

Once appointed, a returning officer can remain in the position unless he or she moves from the electoral district or fails to satisfactorily perform the duties of the office. The longest-serving is the returning officer for Richmond -- he's worked every provincial election since 1963.

For Mr. Kilroy, it's the people who keep him going. "You get to know a lot of people over the years. It's fun."

NOTE TO EDITORS: For repeats of earlier election features listed below, please e-mail <[email protected].>
Feb. 17 -- Enumerators: Coming to Your Door Soon
Feb. 20 -- Nova Scotia Elections: The Way We Were
Feb. 25 -- The Right Writs and Other Election Facts
Feb. 27 -- No More MLAs and Other Election Facts