Elections 2016

Municipal Elections

Town of Middleton & School Board Elections 2016

Town of Middleton Municipal Election contacts:
Returning Officer (RO), Krista Toole 902-825-9825 or election@town.middleton.ns.ca  
Assistant Returning Officer (ARO), Geralyn Attree 902-825-9825 or election@town.middleton.ns.ca

 Key Points | Electronic Voting Questions | E-Voting Sample | School Board Elections

Election Key Points:

Election Day is Saturday, October 15, 2016

Advance Poll starts Thursday, October 6, 2016 and continues through until election day 24/7, due to electronic voting.  Town of Middleton Municipal & School Board Election’s (District #1) will be done by Electronic Voting only (computer & telephone).  If you do not have access to either, a polling station will be set up to use.

Nomination Day is Tuesday, September 13, 2016.  A "Candidate’s Package" is available in separate links listed below or in hard copy by contacting either RO Krista Toole or ARO Geralyn Attree.  This package contains detailed information every candidate should know.

Who is "Eligible to Vote?"

• 18 years or older and a Canadian Citizen on the first advance poll day (Oct. 6, 2016);
• have been ordinarily resident in the Province of Nova Scotia for a period of 6 (six) months before the first advance poll day (Oct. 6, 2016). 
• is ordinarily resident in the Town of Middleton immediately before the first advance poll day (Oct. 6, 2016)

Who is not "Eligible to Vote?"

• the Returning Officer
• an inmate in a correctional or reform centre
• a person convicted of bribery under the Municipal Elections Act in the six years preceding election day; and
• Nova Scotia does NOT have non-resident voting.  This means municipal taxpayers who are not ordinarily resident in the municipality are NOT entitled to vote in that municipality, despite the fact that they own property there, or their children attend school there.

Candidate Information

What are the qualifications to run for Council?

In order to run for council (mayor or councillor) you must:

• be 18 years of age at the time of nomination
• be a Canadian citizen
• be ordinarily resident in the municipality or in an area annexed to the municipality for 6 months preceding nomination day (by March 13^th), and continue to so reside.

Disqualifications to run for Council

A number of situations or occupations disqualify the following from seeking municipal office (s.18 of the Municipal Elections Ac):

• members of parliament or senators;
• members of the legislative assembly;
• members of a village commission;
• judges;
• a person who accepts or holds office or employment in the service of the municipality, or any utility, board, commission, committee or official thereof, to which any salary, fee, wages, allowance, emolument, profit or other remuneration of any kind is attached, for so long as he holds or is engaged in the office or employment, unless the person is on a leave of absence pursuant to subsection 17C(2) of the Municipal Elections Act. (This disqualification does not apply to volunteer firefighters with a municipal firefighting organization, school board employees and employees of joint bodies of two or more municipalities to which the municipality appoints at least one representative and to which the municipality provides funding);
•  councillors in another municipal unit or elected school board members (during a special election);
• persons who, within five years prior to nomination day, have been convicted of bribery or a corrupt practice contrary to the Municipal Elections Act or who have been disqualified from any office pursuant to the provisions of the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act.

Requirement to pay taxes and Liens – Council

To qualify for nomination to council, you must ensure that all municipal charges that are taxes and liens that are due have been fully paid, and, if a municipality has provided for payment of taxes by installment or interim payments, all installments or interim payments due as of nomination day must be paid.  You will need to get a certificate from the municipality to this effect, which must be filed with your nomination paper.  This applies even if you do not own property or owe taxes. (Municipal candidates only)

Candidate forms and other important information:

At the top of each form it references a "Section."  That "section" can be found in the Municipal Elections Act (the link is below).  As well, many of the forms have both "English" and "French."  If you see just French, the following pages in that document will also have English (or vice versa).  A "candidate's package" is also available in hard copy and can be picked up from either Krista or Geralyn at the Town Office if preferred.

List of Elector’s Acceptance Letter 
Municipal Elections Act
Elections Signs Policy
Candidate's Guide to Municipal and School Board Elections - 2016 FINAL
Form 3 Certificate in Respect ot Charges that are Liens Taxes
Form 11 Nomination Paper for Mayor or Councillor
Form 11A Nomination Paper for School Board Member
Form 11B Nomination Paper for Conseil Scolaire Acadien Provincial
Form 11C Nomination Paper for African Nova Scotian Member of Reg School Board
Form 12 Affidavit re Removal of Advertising Materials & Return of Lists of Electors
Form 12A Declaration of Candidate Withdrawing from Nomination
Form 15 Appointment of Agent
Form 16 Oath or Affirmation of Agent Representing Candidate
Form 17 Appointment of Official Agent
Form 17A Oath or Affirmation of Official Agent
Form 40 Candidate's Campaign Contributions Disclosure Stmt
Form 41 Association's Campaign Contributions Disclosure Stmt

E-Voting Sample

HOW TO VOTE ELECTRONICALLY in Middleton’s municipal election starting at 8am on Oct. 6, 2016 until 7pm Oct. 15, 2016.

** IMPORTANT NOTES: **
(1) This is a SAMPLE demo;
(2) ALL school board races are already won by acclamation, so Town of Middleton electors will NOT see the school board races in their e-voting sessions;
(3) If you change your mind on voting for a particular candidate BEFORE "submitting" your ballot, hit the "Return to Ballot" button. To do this, hit the "Return to Ballot" button provided on the voting screen. Once there, re-click on the 'X' of the candidate you have selected (in other words, click the X again); this will DE-SELECT that candidate. THEN, select the candidate(s) you do want to vote for by putting an 'X' in the box next to the candidate(s) name.  When done click 'submit' as done before to cast your ballot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4_pWco2c7M

Voter cards will go in the mail starting Sept. 28 and you should receive by Oct. 5, 2016. If you don't, contact Krista either 902-825-3188 or 902-825-9825.

Electronic Voting - General Information

Are you interested in the Who, What, When, Where, Why & How of Electronic Voting? If so, then you'll want to read these E-Voting Questions & Answers for Municipal & School Board Elections.

1. Who will get a Voter Letter with a PIN to vote in the election?

Answer: All qualified voters on the official municipal Voters’ List provided by the municipality.

2. What if my name is not on the Voter’s List?

Answer: Eligible voters who are not on the official Voter’s List will have to go to a location designated by the election officials and complete the required form to have their name added to the voter’s list. Once this is completed, you will be given a PIN by the election officials. The Intelivote system has the ability to provide enumeration, which includes producing the required documentation.

3. When should I expect to receive my PIN in the mail?

Answer: Individual PINs will be mailed to eligible voters so that they are received approximately three (3) to five (5) days prior to the first voting day.

4. What if I don’t get a PIN in the mail by Election Day?

Answer: If you are an eligible voter and on the official Voter’s List, but you did not get a PIN in the mail by start of the Election period, you can request a replacement PIN. If the election authorities’ records indicate you were sent a PIN in the mail that original PIN will be cancelled and cannot be used to cast a vote in the election. A replacement PIN will be issued to you, if the original PIN has not been voted and you provide identification. 

 5. Why would I not get a PIN in the mail?

Answer: If you didn’t get a PIN in the mail, one of two things may have happened. First, your name was not on the official Voter’s List. PINs are only mailed to voters whose names appear on the official Voters Lists as supplied by the municipality. Secondly, a PIN may have been mailed to you but has been delayed for some reason in the mail system.

6. Can anyone tell how I voted if they know my PIN? 

Answer: No. The system does not track how a particular PIN has voted, only that the PIN has been used to cast a vote.

 7. Once I have my PIN, do I have to register in advance if I want to use either the telephone or the internet to cast my vote?

Answer: No, there is no registration required. During the election period, using your PIN, you may use either the telephone or the internet to cast your vote.

8. What if I lose or misplace my PIN?

Answer: If a voter loses or misplaces their PIN, they should contact the Voter Help Line. The election officials can decide to replace the missing PIN, if it has not already been voted. They will determine if a voter has to travel to a location, sign a form, and then replace the missing PIN, or they can decide to allow Voter Help Line election officials to authenticate the caller and issue a replacement PIN over the phone. In both cases, the original lost or missing PIN will be cancelled and it will not be able to be used to case a vote in the election.

9.  How do I access the voting system?

Answer: Voting instructions will be included in the voter letter mailed to each person on the official Voter’s List. Included in this information are instructions on how to access the voting system. Voters can cast their ballot using the telephone or cell phone, by calling a toll free number. Voters using personal computers will use the internet to visit a website that will allow them entry into the voting system where they will cast their vote.

10.  Once I enter my PIN and start my voting process do I have to complete all the races on the ballot in one session? For example, what if I am interrupted and have to hang up the phone for some reason or, if I am voting using the internet and have to leave my session?

Answer: No, you do not have to vote all the races on your ballot at one time uninterrupted. You can disconnect from the internet or the telephone and reconnect later, re-enter your PIN, and complete your voting activity at that time. In fact, if you find it more convenient, you can switch from one method to the other and complete your voting using the other method. For example, you can start your voting on the internet and at some point close your internet session, and then later re-start the voting process and re-enter your PIN using your phone or cell phone or, alternatively, come back to vote using the internet, and complete your ballot.

11.  What happens if I access the voting system and am presented with incorrect candidates for my district or ward?

Answer: The list of candidates presented to you as a voter is determined by your place of residence, as defined on the Voter’s List. If you have moved and your new address was not updated on the Voter’s List, (and your voter letter and PIN were forwarded to your new address), then you will see the list of candidates associated with your old place of residence. The voter should call the Voter Help Line and the election officials will authenticate the voter and, if satisfied, can then electronically “re-categorize” the PIN, and the correct list of candidates will be presented to the voter, once they reconnect to the voting system.

12.  If I am using the telephone to vote, how will I know what number to press to vote for the candidate of my choice, or what if I make a mistake and select a different candidate than the one I want to vote for?

Answer: The voter letter mailed to you has the list of candidates included on it, for your reference purpose. In addition, each time the system presents you with a race to vote, it lists the eligible candidates running for that position and instructs you to select the corresponding number for that candidate.
For example: 
“To select Jane Doe – Press 1.”
“To select Fred Dunn – Press 2.”
“To select Joe Howe – Press 3.”
Once you enter the corresponding number, the system will verify your selection with a statement and ask you to confirm your selection. 
Example: “You have selected Joe Howe. To confirm this selection, press the pound (#) key now. To change your selection, press zero (0) now.”

If you want to change your selection, you would press zero (0) and make your change at this time. It is only after you have confirmed your selection with the pound key (#) that your vote for that candidate will be “dropped into the ballot box”. You will get a confirmation message, once your vote has been deposited in the virtual ballot box. 
Example: "Your selection has been recorded for Joe Howe."

13.  Once a vote has been confirmed, can it be changed?

Answer: No. Once a vote has been confirmed it cannot be changed. This process is the same as dropping the ballot into the ballot box in a traditional paper-based election, ensuring complete voter anonymity and secrecy of ballot. The system does not know how the ballot was voted, only that the PIN was used in the election to cast a vote and, thus, it cannot be removed from the vote count.

14.  How do I vote if I am away from home, out of town, out of the province, or out of the country?

Answer: You can vote during the election voting period using the internet from anywhere in the world. You can also use telephone service and connect to the voting system toll free from anywhere in North America simply by dialing the toll free number contained in your voter letter.

15.  What if I have a rotary phone at home, no cell phone and don’t have a computer with internet service. How can I vote?

Answer: You do not have to vote from home. You can vote from any location using any phone with touch tone service or from any computer and you can vote in person at polling stations, if the election authorities are offering PC’s and phones at these locations and/or manual voting in concert with the electronic voting options. The location of the polling stations can be found in the information provided in the voter letter sent to voters.

16.  If someone calls me and asks for my PIN, what should I do?

Answer: You should treat your voter PIN with the same level of secrecy and confidentiality you reserve for your bank card and PIN. Do not give your PIN to anyone who may call or approach you for the number.

17. What do I do if the phone line is busy when I call and try to vote?

Answer: If the phone lines are busy, simply hang up and call back a short time later. The voting system is capable of handling a significant volume of calls simultaneously but there is always the possibility that many voters are attempting to call in the same timeframe. Voters will be able to connect to the system over the course of a number of days during the voting period.

18. Could someone steal my PIN and vote it?

Answer: Stealing and opening another person’s mail is illegal. It is also illegal to represent yourself as another person and steal their right to vote in an election. Both these acts are illegal and have penalties defined by law.

If you know someone has voted your PIN illegally, you should report it to the election officials. You can obtain a replacement PIN to cast your vote, by presenting yourself to the election officials and swearing an affidavit that the PIN assigned to you was not voted by you but by someone else.

19.  If I am a voter with a disability - deafness, blindness, or a mobility issue, can someone help me with the voting process?

Answer: Electronic voting allows increased rights of privacy to voters with physical challenges that make traditional voting at polling stations more difficult. Blind voters can make use of the telephone and deaf voters can use the internet to vote, with little or no assistance required from others. If you need assistance at the polling station to cast your vote, the election officials present will be able to assist you.

20.  What do I do if I am not sure if I completed a race or the ballot?

Answer: Connect to the voting system and input your PIN. The system will either start you at the next race you are eligible to complete or it will tell you that the PIN has been used. The PIN will only be deemed invalid if all the races contained on the ballot have been successfully voted. If you have not completed all the races on the ballot, the system will offer you the opportunity to complete any incomplete races.

21.  Would it be possible for me to be sent more than one PIN?

Answer: If you received more than one PIN, it is because your name appeared on the Voter’s List more than once. This rare situation might occur if you changed your place of residence and have been enumerated in both locations or you own property and are the registered resident at both locations. You are only permitted to vote once in a municipality and you should only cast a vote using the PIN associated with your primary place of residence. Notify the election officials of the additional PIN and they will cancel this PIN, a rendering it unusable for the election.

 If you have further questions please contact Returning Officer, Krista Toole at 902-825-3188 or by e-mail to election@town.middleton.ns.ca.

School Board Elections

School Board Candidate Information Sessions

The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, and the NSSBA will be holding School Board Candidate Information Sessions around the province. These sessions will be two-hours in length, and will provide insight into the roles and responsibilities of a school board member, along with the nominations process.

School Board Candidate Information Sessions will review:

• The roles and responsibilities of an elected school board member
• A brief review of the Education Act
• Qualifications to run
• Filing nominations - processes
• A brief review of school board governance
•  Frequently Asked Questions
• Opportunity for questions

The sessions will be facilitated by Regional Education Officers, EECD staff, and NSSBA staff. Returning Officers are welcome to attend these sessions if available. We will have some technical information on hand for attendees, but we will be directing people to contact their municipal offices for more information. These sessions are open to all members of the public. 

Below is the schedule for the sessions. All sessions will be held from 6:30pm - 8:30pm.