March 22, 2016: Writ Period Bulletin for Field Leadership Team

This issue of the Writ Period Bulletin for Field Leadership Team includes an article on:

  • Printing and Distributing Revised Voters List to Parties and Candidates;
  • Obtaining User Access to VoterView;
  • Providing Information to Candidates’ Representatives at Advance Polls and on Election Day; and
  • Advance Polls and Election Day – Role and Location of Candidates’ Representatives.

Printing and Distributing Revised Voters List to Parties and Candidates

Following the close of revisions at 7 p.m. on Wednesday March 23 you must immediately scan and send any revisions you have received (i.e. Confirmation Records you have prepared) to [email protected].   These final revisions will be data entered in VoterView at ESK and the Preliminary list will be revised with the changes. ESK will then contact your office on Saturday March 26 to put a copy of the Revised voters list on your laptops.

The list we provide to you is the voters list that will be used at the advance polls and on election day.

Elections SK IT will send candidates that requested an electronic copy of the Preliminary voters list, an electronic copy of the Revised voters list.

If there are any other candidates that request an electronic copy of the Revised list, you should follow the same procedure as you did for identifying candidates who requested an electronic copy of the Preliminary list.

Send an email to [email protected].  The email should contain the following information:

  • Candidate’s name;
  • Candidate’s email address;
  • Candidate’s phone number;
  • Constituency name; and
  • Confirmation that an E-293 form has been signed by the candidate and that an E-295 form has been given to the candidate to be returned to the returning office or to Elections SK head office following the election.

Inform the candidate that Elections SK IT will send a password protected copy of the list to the candidate via email and call them with the password within 24 hours.

Obtaining User Access to VoterView

Some returning offices have requested VoterView access for other members of their administrative team to assist them in dealing with enquiries from voters regarding the VICs. 

If you need to arrange access to VoterView for other administrative staff members in the returning office, send an email to [email protected] that includes:

  • The person’s name and position; and
  • A copy of the signed Privacy Training Acknowledgement Form for the person.

Important: All workers who are given access to VoterView must be reminded that voter information is private and confidential.  Workers should never disclose personal voter information in VoterView to a caller for any reason.

Providing Information to Candidates’ Representatives at Advance Polls and on Election Day

As you know, each candidate is allowed to appoint up to two candidates’ representatives for each polling station to observe voting. All candidates’ representatives must present to the DRO Form E-417 – Appointment of Candidates’ Representative which is signed by the candidate and take an Oath or Declaration of Secrecy.

Candidates’ representatives are entitled to observe during Advance Voting and on Election Day (including during the preliminary count on Election Night).

  • Advance Voting – We are asking Returning Officers to make very clear to DROs for Advance Voting that candidates’ representatives are allowed to view the poll book. Timing of access will remain at the discretion of the DRO. Serving the needs of voters will always come first. Returning Officers should also emphasize for DROs that cameras (even those on smart phones) cannot be used in the polling place and cannot be used by representative’s to capture information in the poll books. Representatives’ are allowed to write down information. Unlike on election day, Form E-333 – Statement of Voters Who Voted on Polling Day (also referred to as ‘Bingo Sheets’) are NOT used at Advance Polls.

At the end of each day of advance voting (or the following morning) the DRO will personally deliver, fax, or scan and e-mail the yellow copies of the poll entries from the E-317 – Poll Book for Voters Who Voted at Advance to the returning office. In some remote areas, this may need to be done by calling the returning office and reading the entries over the phone. Following the close of advance polls at 7 p.m. on April 2, the RO will compile the yellow copies from the E-317 poll books from all the advance polls in their constituency and supply a photocopy to each candidate on Sunday, April 3.

  • Election Day – Form E-333 (‘Bingo Sheets’) is used on Election Day. Every two hours on election day, the DRO is to provide a copy of the E-333 to candidates’ representatives. The times established for distributing the E-333 are 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m., and 7 p.m. As during advance polls, candidates’ representatives may ask the DRO to view the poll book when voters are not being served. Again, cameras are not permitted in the polling place.

Following the close of the poll and the vote count on election day, the DRO provides to one representative for each candidate an envelope containing a copy of the E-312 Ballot Paper Account and Poll Statement and a copy of E-316 Statement by Deputy Returning Officer Respecting Voters who Made Declarations or were Registered on Election Day.

Advance Polls and Election Day – Role and Location of Candidates’ Representatives

Candidates and representatives are important stakeholders in the electoral process and, specifically, at the polling locations. We are asking Returning Officers to emphasize this to their DROs. We have every expectation that candidates’ representatives will be treated with the same respect that you expect from them.

Candidates’ representatives may be situated behind or to the side of the Poll Official’s table (away from the voters screen). The actual seating arrangements will depend on the size and configuration of the polling place. They do not need to be situated in close proximity to the registration desk because the completed registration accompanies the voter to the polling station desk.

Every Returning Officer was to distribute to candidates a copy of the E-418 “Guidelines for Candidates’ Representatives” when they received their nomination package. Returning Officers are asked to familiarize themselves with this information should questions arise at polling places during advance voting and on Election Day.