Additional polling site for evacuated electors from Timmins–James Bay (Ontario)

42^nd General Election

adaptation to establish a second polling station
for polling division 03
in the electoral district of timmins-james bay
pursuant to subsection 17(1) of the canada election act

Whereas the 42^nd federal general election was called on August 2, 2015, with polling day on October 19, 2015;

Whereas section 120 provides that the returning officer shall, for polling day, establish one polling station for each polling division;

Whereas the polling station established for polling division 03 in the electoral district of Timmins-James Bay in Ontario is located in a community affected by flooding, and that some residents of the community have been evacuated to and temporarily reside in the town of Kapuskasing;

Whereas some residents of the community have remained in the community despite this and that it is possible to open the polling station in the community to allow these electors to vote;

And whereas subsection 17(1) of the Canada Elections Act provides that:

17. (1) During an election period or within 30 days after it, if an emergency, an unusual or unforeseen circumstance or an error makes it necessary, the Chief Electoral Officer may, for the sole purpose of enabling electors to exercise their right to vote or enabling the counting of votes, adapt any provision of this Act and, in particular, may extend the time for doing any act, subject to subsection (2), or may increase the number of election officers or polling stations.

Therefore, the Canada Elections Act is hereby adapted to add, after section 120, a new section 120.1 as follows:

120.1. (1) For the purposes of the vote on polling day ― and despite subsection 120(1) of the present Act ― a second polling station shall be established by the returning officer for polling division 03 in the electoral district of Timmins-James Bay, situated in suitable premises in the town of Kapuskasing.

(2) Before the holding of the vote at the second polling station mentioned in subsection (1), the returning officer of this electoral district shall provide the deputy returning officer the election materials listed at subsection 119(1), and the official list of electors at paragraph (f) is the same as the list used in the polling station established in polling division 03.

(3) Except as provided for in this section, all the provisions of this Act apply as if this second polling station was within polling division 03.

(4) After the counting of the votes, and for the application of section 287, the deputy returning officer of the polling station in polling division 03, as well as the deputy returning officer in the second polling station, shall each prepare a statement of the vote. The returning officer reports the results of the polling division by adding together the numbers of votes in favour of each candidate and the numbers of rejected ballots, as indicated in both statements of the vote.

September 29, 2015

Marc Mayrand
Chief Electoral Officer