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Bill C-2

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    (b) if the special ballot is cast outside the elector's electoral district, at the office of the special voting rules administrator in Ottawa, not later than 6:00 p.m. on polling day.

Responsibi-
lities of elector

240. For the purpose of this Division, an elector has the sole responsibility to ensure that

    (a) his or her application for registration and special ballot is made within the period specified; and

    (b) his or her special ballot is received within the period specified to be counted as a vote.

Elector to be given regular ballot

241. An elector who applies to vote in person at the office of the returning officer for his or her electoral district after ballots for the electoral district have been printed shall be given a ballot that is not a special ballot and shall immediately vote in the manner described in paragraphs 151(1)(a) and (b) and 227(2)(b) to (d) and return the outer envelope to the election officer.

Spoiled ballot

242. (1) If an elector has inadvertently handled a ballot or a special ballot in such a manner that it cannot be used, the elector shall return it to the election officer who shall mark it as a spoiled ballot and give the elector another ballot.

Limit

(2) An elector shall not be given more than one ballot under subsection (1).

Assistance

243. (1) When an elector personally goes to the office of the returning officer and is unable to read or because of a physical disability is unable to vote in the manner described in this Division, the designated election officer shall assist the elector by

    (a) completing the declaration on the outer envelope and writing the elector's name where his or her signature is to be written; and

    (b) marking the ballot as directed by the elector in his or her presence.

Note on outer envelope

(2) An election officer who assists an elector under subsection (1) shall indicate, by signing the note on the outer envelope, that the elector was assisted.

Registration, voting at home

243.1 (1) On application of an elector who is unable to read, or who is unable to vote in the manner described in this Division because of a physical disability, and who is unable to personally go to the office of the returning officer because of a physical disability, the designated election officer shall go to the elector's dwelling place and, in the presence of a witness who is chosen by the elector, assist the elector by

    (a) completing the declaration on the outer envelope and writing the elector's name where the elector's signature is to be written; and

    (b) marking the ballot as directed by the elector in the elector's presence.

Note on outer envelope

(2) The designated election officer and the witness who assist an elector under subsection (1) shall indicate, by signing the note on the outer envelope, that the elector was assisted.

DIVISION 5

Incarcerated Electors

Definition of ``elector''

244. For the purpose of this Division, ``elector'' means an incarcerated elector.

Entitlement to vote

245. (1) Every person who is incarcerated and who is otherwise qualified to vote under this Act is entitled to vote under this Division on the 10th day before polling day.

Exercise of right to vote

(2) An elector is not entitled to vote under this Division unless he or she has signed an application for registration and special ballot under section 251 and a declaration described in section 257.

Vote to be in electoral district

(3) An elector is entitled to vote under this Division only for a candidate in the electoral district in which his or her place of ordinary residence is situated as shown on the application for registration and special ballot made by the elector under section 251.

Designation of coordinating officers

246. The ministers responsible for corrections in the provinces shall each designate a person as a coordinating officer to work, during and between elections with the Chief Electoral Officer to carry out the purposes and provisions of this Division.

Notification of issue of the writs

247. (1) Without delay after the issue of the writs, the Chief Electoral Officer shall inform the minister responsible for corrections in a province of their issue and of the location of administrative centres.

Designation of liaison officers

(2) On being informed of the issue of the writs, each minister responsible for corrections in a province shall

    (a) inform the coordinating officer for that province of the issue of the writs;

    (b) designate one or more persons to act as liaison officers in connection with the taking of the votes of electors; and

    (c) inform the Chief Electoral Officer and the coordinating officer for that province of the name and address of each liaison officer.

Liaison officers

248. (1) The Chief Electoral Officer shall appoint persons designated under paragraph 247(2)(b) in the prescribed form.

Duty to cooperate

(2) During the election period, a liaison officer shall cooperate with the Chief Electoral Officer in the administration of the registration and the taking of the votes of electors.

Duty of coordinating officer

249. When a coordinating officer is informed that a liaison officer has been designated, the coordinating officer shall give the liaison officer all necessary information on taking the votes of electors.

Notice of entitlement to vote

250. (1) A liaison officer shall, without delay after being appointed, post a notice in the prescribed form in a prominent place in the correctional institution that informs electors of the date on which they are entitled to vote in accordance with this Division.

Voting hours

(2) The polling stations shall be open on the 10th day before polling day from 9:00 a.m. and shall be kept open until every elector who is registered under subsection 251(1) has voted, but in no case shall they be kept open later than 8:00 p.m. on that day.

Application for registration and special ballot

251. (1) Before the 10th day before polling day, each liaison officer shall ensure that an application for registration and special ballot in the prescribed form is completed for every eligible elector of the correctional institution who wishes to vote, indicating his or her place of ordinary residence as determined under subsection (2).

Residence of elector

(2) The place of ordinary residence of an elector is the first of the following places for which the elector knows the civic and mailing addresses:

    (a) his or her residence before being incarcerated;

    (b) the residence of a person with whom the elector would live but for his or her incarceration or a person designated by the elector as next of kin;

    (c) the place of his or her arrest; or

    (d) the last court where the elector was convicted and sentenced.

Optional information

(3) In addition to providing his or her place of ordinary residence, the Chief Electoral Officer may request that the elector provide other information that the Chief Electoral Officer considers necessary to implement agreements made under section 55, but the elector is not required to provide that information.

Validation

(4) The liaison officer shall validate the application for registration and special ballot by signing it and indicating on it the name of the electoral district that includes the place of ordinary residence as determined under subsection (2).

Dispute about electoral district

(5) If a dispute arises as to in which electoral district an elector may vote, the elector may refer the matter to the returning officer for the electoral district where the correctional institution is located, and the returning officer shall make a final determination in accordance with the process for revising lists of electors.

List of incarcerated electors

252. Applications for registration and special ballot are deemed to be the list of electors who vote under this Division.

Appointment of deputy returning officers and poll clerks

253. (1) Before the 18th day before polling day, each returning officer shall, for each correctional institution in his or her electoral district, in consultation with the liaison officer for the institution, establish one or more polling stations and appoint a deputy returning officer and a poll clerk for each polling station.

Provision of election materials

(2) A liaison officer shall, on receiving the election materials and list of candidates,

    (a) provide the materials in sufficient quantities to the deputy returning officers appointed under subsection (1) for the correctional institution; and

    (b) post the list of candidates in one or more conspicuous places in the correctional institution.

Duties of deputy returning officer

254. On the day on which the electors cast their ballots, the deputy returning officer shall, at each polling station,

    (a) post two or more copies of the voting instructions, in the prescribed form, in conspicuous places; and

    (b) keep readily available for consultation by electors a copy of this Part, a set of street indexes, a guide to electoral districts and a list of candidates.

Mobile polling stations

255. (1) A liaison officer shall, when required, establish a mobile polling station within a correctional institution to take the votes of the electors who are confined to their cells or in an infirmary.

Common mobile polling stations

(2) A returning officer may, in cooperation with liaison officers, create a mobile polling station for correctional institutions of fewer than 50 electors that are within the returning officer's electoral district and that are within reasonable travelling distance of each other.

Represen-
tative of registered party

256. With the prior authorization of correctional authorities, a Canadian citizen may represent a registered party during the taking of the votes at a correctional institution, if he or she provides the deputy returning officer with an authorization, in the prescribed form, signed by a candidate for that party.

Declaration of elector

257. (1) Before delivering a special ballot to an elector, the deputy returning officer for a correctional institution shall require the elector to complete an application for registration and special ballot, if the elector has not already done so, and to make and sign the declaration on the outer envelope.

Giving special ballot to elector

(2) After the elector has signed the declaration on the outer envelope, the deputy returning officer shall

    (a) sign the outer envelope; and

    (b) give the elector a special ballot, an inner envelope and the outer envelope.

Voting by special ballot

258. (1) The elector shall vote by writing on the special ballot the name of the candidate of his or her choice, folding the special ballot and, in the presence of the deputy returning officer,

    (a) placing the ballot in the inner envelope and sealing the envelope; and

    (b) placing the inner envelope in the outer envelope and sealing the outer envelope.

Writing candidate's name

(2) The candidate shall be indicated on a special ballot by writing the candidate's given name or initials and surname. If two or more candidates have the same name, their political affiliations shall be indicated.

Spoiled special ballot

(3) If an elector has inadvertently handled a special ballot in such a manner that it cannot be used, the elector shall return it to the deputy returning officer who shall mark it as a spoiled ballot and give the elector another special ballot.

Limit

(4) An elector shall not be given more than one special ballot under subsection (3).

Assistance

259. (1) If an elector is unable to read or because of a physical disability is unable to vote under this Division, the deputy returning officer shall assist the elector by

    (a) completing the declaration on the outer envelope and writing the elector's name where his or her signature is to be written; and

    (b) marking the special ballot as directed by the elector in his or her presence and in the presence of the poll clerk.

Note on outer envelope

(2) The deputy returning officer and the poll clerk shall sign a note on the outer envelope indicating that the elector was assisted.

Delivery of documents after the vote

260. Without delay after the votes have been cast at a correctional institution, the deputy returning officer shall deliver to the liaison officer for the institution

    (a) the outer envelopes that contain the marked special ballots;

    (b) any unused or spoiled outer envelopes;

    (c) any unused or spoiled special ballots and unused inner envelopes; and

    (d) the applications for registration and special ballot.

Deadline for return of election material

261. Every liaison officer shall ensure that the election material referred to in section 260 is received by the special voting rules administrator in Ottawa no later than 6:00 p.m. on polling day.

Integration into final list of electors

262. The applications for registration and special ballot shall be integrated into the final list of electors referred to in section 109.