Members of the public are getting an opportunity to weigh in on the location of polling stations in the upcoming provincial election.
Chief Electoral Officer Kim Poffenroth says anyone can submit their opinion on where the stations are located, or their own suggestion until June 15th.
“In the past, Elections New Brunswick has received not necessarily a great number, but there have been complaints, or comments or feedback on polling locations when it was essentially too late to make the change,” says Poffenroth. “Usually after the voter information cards went out.”
She says the information will be compiled and distributed to the relevant officers.
“Because they’re the individuals responsible for running the election in their district, and they know their district much better than we do at head office,” says Poffenroth. “The final decision is with the individual returning officers after evaluating and taking a look at the feedback.”
Poffenroth says local returning officers have numerous criteria to follow when choosing a location.
“Level access for the disability community, they have to be of sufficient size for whatever number of polling divisions will report to that particular stations, sufficient parking, is the location on a bus route,” says Poffenroth.
Poffenroth says they launched this consultation far enough ahead of time to get public feedback with plenty of time to change the locations if necessary.
She says anyone who submits a comment, complaint, or suggestion will be weighted the same, whether they represent a political party, an organization, or just themselves.
Voters are expected to go to the polls in September.
