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Questions |
What is the current standing in the House of Assembly?
How can I file a complaint about the election process?
How can I file a complaint about a party and/or Candidate?
How are returning officers screened, selected, and trained? Are they allowed to be members of a political party?
What does the Chief Electoral Office do:
Prior to an election call?
During an election?
Following an election?
How do I find out what electoral district I am in?
My name has changed since the last election. Do I have to swear-in again as an elector?
My son/daughter has to register to vote. How can he/she do so?
Can I vote in advance of polling day?
Can I vote at an advance poll?
What is Special Ballot Voting?
When does Special Ballot Voting begin?
Are there deadlines associated with Special Ballot Voting?
What kind of information is available to students for the upcoming Provincial Election?
What are the hours of polling on Polling Day?
How do I apply for election employment?
Where can I obtain electoral district maps?
What are the regulations concerning campaign advertising for candidates?
What are the limits on campaign fund-raising/donations?
What are the limits on third-party involvement in an election campaign?
How do I find out how much a candidate/party can spend on their campaign?
How much is this election costing?
What happens with ballots after the election?
What is the procedure for people who cannot get to polling stations, such as those in hospital, long-term facilities, or those away from the province temporarily on polling day?
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Frequently Asked Questions |
What is the current standing in the House of Assembly?
In the House of Assembly there are currently 3 Liberals, 42 Progressive Conservatives, 1 New Democrat, and 2 seats vacant.
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How can I file a complaint about the election process?
A complaint must be filed, in writing, to the Chief Electoral Officer describing the complaint in detail. Please include dates, locations, names of those involved, and the name, address and telephone number of the person making the complaint.
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How can I file a complaint about a party and/or Candidate?
The Chief Electoral Office maintains responsibility for the overall electoral process. It does not participate nor control party nominations or party elections. The Chief Electoral Office will deal with ensuring the general election process is fair and open. Any complaints about party processes should be directed to the chairperson of the party. |
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How are returning officers screened, selected, and trained? Are they allowed to be members of a political party?
Returning officers can continue to return to the position from year to year. Otherwise, they submit a formal resignation and vacancies are advertised in the local newspapers. Their training includes intensive sessions to prepare for the Provincial Election. Returning officers are not permitted to be members of any political party and are, in fact, not to have any political associations within 60 days before polling day. This includes being in the service of a candidate or being employed by a candidate or his or her scrutineer (or someone else who is working on behalf or in the interest of a candidate). |
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What does the Chief Electoral Office do:
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Prior to an election call? |
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The office maintains a constant state of readiness and must ensure that all those involved in the electoral process (i.e. candidates, parties, and electors) are aware of their rights and obligations under the law. The office has a full contingent of field staff, returning officers, election clerks, and special ballot officers. |
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During an election? |
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The Chief Electoral Officer must enforce on the part of election officer’s fairness, impartiality and compliance with the Act and exercise general direction and supervision over the administrative conduct of elections. |
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Following an election? |
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Immediately following an election, election officials and polling station rental fees are paid. The services provided by the Chief Electoral Office must be available between electoral events and the staff (both at headquarters and in the field) are trained and ready at any time for an election. The electoral list is continually updated, reports are published and submitted to the House of Assembly, election expenses are reimbursed, accounts audited, and all procedures and processes are evaluated.
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How do I find out what electoral district I am in?
You may call the Chief Electoral Office using the toll free telephone number, or you can visit the Elections NL website.
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My name has changed since the last election. Do I have to swear-in again as an elector?
You may not. We may have already updated the information from other sources. If not, you will be required to swear an oath to verify your change of name and/or change of address.
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My son/daughter has to register to vote. How can he/she do so?
This depends. If the election has not yet been called, you may register by contacting the Chief Electoral Office. Once an election writ has been issued, however, you cannot apply to be placed on the voter’s list. You can still vote on polling day at the polling station, but you will have to swear an oath and present appropriate identification. |
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Can I vote in advance of polling day?
Yes you can. Other voting methods such as Advance Poll or Special (Mail-In) Ballots are alternative methods to voting on polling day.
 Click here for the Special Ballot Office hours for
 the Electoral District of Cape St. Francis.
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Can I vote at an advance poll?
Yes. An elector who has reason to believe that he or she will have difficulty voting on polling day in the polling division in which they are ordinarily resident, may vote at an advance poll. |
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What is Special Ballot Voting?
Any elector who has reason to believe that he or she will have difficulty voting on polling day in the polling division in which they are ordinarily resident, may vote by Special Ballot. Special Ballot Voting is a process whereby a person completes an application and, if approved, is forwarded a kit for completion. The kit, once completed, may be dropped off to the district returning officer or returned to the Chief Electoral Office. |
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When does Special Ballot Voting begin?
Special Ballot Voting begins Monday, July 7, 2008 in the electoral district of Cape St. Francis. |
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Are there deadlines associated with Special Ballot Voting?
Yes. |
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What kind of information is available to students for the upcoming Provincial Election?
Before students vote, they should determine what is considered their “ordinary residence”. “Ordinary residence”, according to the Elections Act, 1991, is “that place in which [the elector] has his or her principal or only residence, home, lodging or habitation”. A person may not have more than one residency at a time considered “ordinary residency”. There are several different scenarios to consider:
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Students Residing at Home |
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If, while attending an educational institution, you are living at your family home, then you are considered ordinarily resident there, and may vote in the electoral district under which your family home is categorized.
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Students Living Away from Home - Intending to Return |
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If, while attending an educational institution, you are living away from home but plan to return there once your studies are complete, you are still considered ordinarily resident there. You may vote in the electoral district under which your family home is categorized.
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Students Living Away from Home - Not Intending to Return |
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If, while attending an educational institution, you are living away from home and do not plan to return (or are unsure as to when you will ever return), then you are considered ordinarily resident where you are living to attend classes. You may register to vote in that district and must take an oath and produce identification. |
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What are the hours of polling on Polling Day?
The polls will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Labrador time) both on the advance poll day and on regular polling day. |
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How do I apply for election employment?
The returning officer is responsible for appointing district election officers within their respective electoral districts. Contact should be made with the returning officer, preferably by providing a written summary of qualifications, if anyone is interested in these positions. These are temporary positions filled for the election; however, for future employment, resumes can be submitted to the Chief Electoral Officer for consideration. |
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Where can I obtain electoral district maps?
Copies of the electoral district maps are available for a fee from the Department of Government Services and Lands, Surveys & Mapping Division. They are located in the Howley building, Higgins Line, St. John’s, NL. Their telephone number is (709) 729-3305.
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What are the regulations concerning campaign advertising for candidates?
In accordance with Section 226.1 of the Elections Act, 1991, “A registered party or candidate, and a person, corporation or trade union acting with its or his or her knowledge and consent shall not, after the issue of a writ for an election and before the day immediately following the polling day, except during the period of 21 days immediately preceding the day before polling day,
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advertise on the facilities of a broadcasting undertaking; or
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procure for publication, publish or consent to the publication of, except during that period, an advertisement in a newspaper, magazine or other periodical publication, for the purpose of promoting or opposing a political party or the election of a candidate.”
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[After a writ for an election has been issued commercial advertising is only allowed during the 21 days immediately preceding the day before polling day. The remainder of the writ period is considered a “blackout” period. These restrictions do not apply to advertising through the use of outdoor advertising facilities, advertising of public meetings, public service announcements or to other matters respecting administrative functions of political parties.] |
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What are the limits on campaign fund-raising/donations?
There are currently no limits but candidates may not solicit, collect, or accept funds until they are registered with the Chief Electoral Office and are officially nominated. |
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What are the limits on third-party involvement in an election campaign?
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How do I find out how much a candidate/party can spend on their campaign?
For 2008, candidates can spend up to $3.909 per each eligible voter in their district. You can determine the maximum possible amount to spend on a campaign in a particular electoral district by multiplying the above noted factor (3.909) by the number of eligible voters on the voters list the day the writ for an election is dropped. For example, if there are 2400 eligible voters in a district, the candidate could spend a maximum of $9,382.00 (3.909 x 2400 rounded). Elections NL establishes the number of eligible voters on the date the writ is dropped. The Elections NL website contains a record of the number of eligible voters, by district, at certain points in time. www.gov.nl.ca/elections. Please be aware that this information is subject to change and should be used as a reference only. |
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What happens with ballots after the election?
In accordance with the Elections Act, 1991, the Chief Electoral Office will retain the ballot boxes, sealed, for one year following the provincial election in which they were used. After this time has passed, or unless otherwise directed by order of a judge, the Chief Electoral Office will destroy all those documents, ballots, papers contained in the ballot boxes except the poll books, voters list and all oaths.
The Chief Electoral Office may, for the purpose of revising and correcting the Permanent List of Electors, open a sealed ballot box in the presence of the Clerk of the House of Assembly and may remove such contents. They are to ensure that the contents are used or kept in a secure place, and shall reseal the opened ballot box with a numbered seal and make a record of the number on the seal used and furnish the Clerk of the House of Assembly with a copy of the record.
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How much is this election costing?
The budget for the 2007 Provincial Election is approximately $3.5 million. The provincial election of 2003 had a budget of $3.2 million.
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What is the procedure for people who cannot get to polling stations, such as those in hospital, long-term facilities, or those away from the province temporarily on polling day?
“Appointed” and “sworn” staff of the Chief Electoral Office will be visiting most personal care homes and hospitals to take the votes of residents and patients who are unable to attend at either the advance poll or on regular polling day.
People away from the province temporarily must apply to vote by special ballot.
Applications for Special Ballot voting are available from the following sources:
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the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, 39 Hallett Crescent, St. John’s, NL,
A1B 4C4;
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the Returning Officer for the electoral district whose name, address and telephone number will be publicly advertised; |
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the Elections NL website, www.gov.nl.ca/elections; |
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