Elections PEI says seniors ready to vote on electoral reform

Seniors living in nursing homes and community care facilities across P.E.I. are not being forgotten in the plebiscite vote on electoral reform.

Paul Alan of Elections PEI says the public education team visited the facilities, made presentations and explained the systems as easily as they could.

They also delivered a package containing a DVD with the same slide presentation and brochures to the same locations for review if needed before the mobile polls began.

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"We made the efforts to get them the information. Obviously, there are so many homes and so many other groups that you have to reach and the interest in the plebiscite just kind of exploded in the last two months," said Alan.

Alan said during the visits, many seniors would at first wonder why the plebiscite was being held and why was there going to be a possible switch in theresult of their vote.

"We explained about the white paper from the premier and looking at strengthening democracy on P.E.I. And then we went through to explain each of the systems," said Alan.

Simple terms

He added when it came to explaining the complex options, they put it in as clear and simple terms as they could.

"We just went on the surface of it and said this is how this one works and this is the result of the type of government you would have and just went through it as basically as that."

Mobile polls are underway in many nursing homes and community care facilities.

Alan said if they don't want to vote that way, they can by telephone or online.

"I've been to a couple of nursing homes where the residents were quite excited about the electronic voting because a number of them have tablets for keeping in touch with family members and they were excited about the option of voting online."

Registered voters have until Nov. 7 to rank five electoral systems in order of preference.

Voting is now open online or by telephone.

In-person paper ballot voting takes place Nov. 4 and Nov. 5.

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