Are You on the Voters' List?

HOUSING/MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS Are You on the Voters' List?

Eligible voters will go to the polls across the province on Saturday, Oct. 21, to elect municipal council, school board and Conseil scolaire acadien provincial (CSAP) members for four-year terms. Some municipalities might also include a plebiscite on the ballot.

To ensure that every eligible voter has the opportunity to cast a ballot, a preliminary list of voters is published months before Election Day, and residents should check to see if their name is on the list. Municipalities can enumerate residents to establish a preliminary voters' list or use an existing provincial or federal voters' list.

A preliminary list of voters must be posted in the municipal office and a government office or a facility such as a post office in or near each polling district. The location of the lists will be published in local papers, along with how to apply to have the list amended. Amendment applications can be submitted by telephone, mail or in person in the first seven to 10 days of August. Check with your local municipal returning officer for the dates and times.

A final list of electors for each polling district will be completed by Aug. 31. No amendments can be made to the voters' list after the final list is prepared.

Even if your name is not on the final voters' list, you may still be able to vote. After providing satisfactory evidence of identification and residence in the municipality or school region for at lease three months before Oct. 21, and taking an oath, you can cast a ballot.

For more information about the 2000 Municipal Elections, visit the Department's website at http://www.gov.ns.ca/homa/ or call your local municipal office.

Key Dates for the 2000 municipal elections:

Nomination Day: Sept. 18
Advance Polls: Oct. 12 or Oct. 14, or Oct. 17
Election Day: Oct. 21