If I am working or studying away from home, where do I go to vote?
According to section 43 of the Election Act, an elector must vote in the particular polling subdivision of the electoral division in which the person is ordinarily resident. An elector is considered to have only one place of ordinary residence, and it is defined as "the place where the person lives and sleeps and to which, when the person is absent from it, the person intends to return". Therefore, if you live or work away from your place of ordinary residence, you must still vote in the electoral division in which you ordinarily reside.
For example, this would apply to:
A student from Red Deer attending university in Victoria and living in residence there, who lives "at home" (spends holidays with the family and intends to return to Red Deer after the program of study is completed). The student would be eligible to vote in Red Deer. A construction worker from Edmonton working in Fort McMurray and living in temporary accommodations (a motel or apartment) who ordinarily resides with his family in Edmonton. The worker would be eligible to vote in Edmonton. A retired person from Pincher Creek traveling the world who has been away for several months but intends to return after the extended holiday. The vacationer would be eligible to vote in Pincher Creek. In all cases, the electors would have to meet the regular eligibility criteria.
If you are in a similar situation, there are two options available to you if you expect to be away from your electoral division on polling day.
The first option is to vote at the Advance Poll in your own electoral division. Advance Polls are held from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on the Thursday, Friday and Saturday prior to polling day. Addresses of Advance Poll locations are published in local newspapers and can also be obtained from Returning Officers.
The second option is to vote by Special Ballot. You must request a Special Ballot from the Returning Officer in your electoral division. The request - which must come from the elector - can be made as soon as the Writ of Election is issued. Special Ballot requests are accepted in person, by mail, by facsimile, by e-mail or by telephone. It is important to note that, while requests for Special Ballots may be sent via facsimile, the Special Ballots themselves may not. A Special Ballot sent via facsimile would be easily identifiable, and the basic principle of the secret ballot would be lost. For this same reason, you may not obtain a Special Ballot from anyone other than the Returning Officer in your own electoral division.
Your Special Ballot must be received, completed and returned to the Returning Officer by the close of polls on Polling Day to be counted. Any Special Ballots received after the close of polls are counted as rejected ballots.
The problem is this: In which riding did I live before moving out here?
In Edmonton, at the track? In Edmonton, at my grandparents? At my parents' house (now sold) in SE Calgary? At my uncle's house (where I stayed for a week, but my parents still live there) in NE Calgary?
From http://www.electionsalberta.ab.ca/welcome.html
If I am working or studying away from home, where do I go to vote?
According to section 43 of the Election Act, an elector must vote in the particular polling subdivision of the electoral division in which the person is ordinarily resident.
An elector is considered to have only one place of ordinary residence, and it is defined as "the place where the person lives and sleeps and to which, when the person is absent from it, the person intends to return". Therefore, if you live or work away from your place of ordinary residence, you must still vote in the electoral division in which you ordinarily reside.
For example, this would apply to:
A student from Red Deer attending university in Victoria and living in residence there, who lives "at home" (spends holidays with the family and intends to return to Red Deer after the program of study is completed). The student would be eligible to vote in Red Deer.
A construction worker from Edmonton working in Fort McMurray and living in temporary accommodations (a motel or apartment) who ordinarily resides with his family in Edmonton. The worker would be eligible to vote in Edmonton.
A retired person from Pincher Creek traveling the world who has been away for several months but intends to return after the extended holiday. The vacationer would be eligible to vote in Pincher Creek.
In all cases, the electors would have to meet the regular eligibility criteria.
If you are in a similar situation, there are two options available to you if you expect to be away from your electoral division on polling day.
The first option is to vote at the Advance Poll in your own electoral division. Advance Polls are held from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on the Thursday, Friday and Saturday prior to polling day. Addresses of Advance Poll locations are published in local newspapers and can also be obtained from Returning Officers.
The second option is to vote by Special Ballot. You must request a Special Ballot from the Returning Officer in your electoral division. The request - which must come from the elector - can be made as soon as the Writ of Election is issued. Special Ballot requests are accepted in person, by mail, by facsimile, by e-mail or by telephone. It is important to note that, while requests for Special Ballots may be sent via facsimile, the Special Ballots themselves may not. A Special Ballot sent via facsimile would be easily identifiable, and the basic principle of the secret ballot would be lost. For this same reason, you may not obtain a Special Ballot from anyone other than the Returning Officer in your own electoral division.
Your Special Ballot must be received, completed and returned to the Returning Officer by the close of polls on Polling Day to be counted. Any Special Ballots received after the close of polls are counted as rejected ballots.
Reply
In Edmonton, at the track?
In Edmonton, at my grandparents?
At my parents' house (now sold) in SE Calgary?
At my uncle's house (where I stayed for a week, but my parents still live there) in NE Calgary?
Um, I haven't a clue.
-Nicole
Reply
Leave a comment