Poll and polling station
59(1)The poll for each polling division shall be held at a polling station located in a court house, municipal hall, school or other public building or, if none is available, in any other suitable building.
59(1.1)Each polling station shall
(a)
have convenient access with an outside door for admittance of voters and, if possible, another door through which the voters may leave after having voted, and
(b)
if possible, be accessible without the use of stairs.
59(1.2)Upon the request of the Chief Electoral Officer, the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development or any person authorized by the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development to do so shall make available for use as a polling station any public school if such use does not disrupt instructional time for students.
59(2)The returning officer shall designate for each polling division a suitable polling station or stations having regard to the convenience of the voters in such polling division.
59(3)Repealed: 2010, c.6, s.44
59(4)Each polling station shall contain one or more compartments so arranged that each elector may be screened from observation, and may, without interference or interruption, mark his ballot paper.
59(5)For the use of electors in marking their ballot papers, each compartment shall be provided with a table or desk with a hard smooth surface and a black lead pencil, kept properly sharpened throughout the hours of polling, a black pen or other marking device provided by the Chief Electoral Officer.
59(6)On an ordinary polling day or an advance polling day, the polls shall be open from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m., and, during that time, the poll officials appointed for a polling station shall receive in the prescribed manner the votes of the electors duly qualified to vote at that polling station.
59(7)If for any reason the opening of a poll is delayed past 10 a.m., the poll supervisor shall notify the returning officer of the reason for the delay, shall make a record of the hour at which the poll is opened and shall keep the poll open for voting for 10 full hours after it opens.
59(8)At the time of the closing of a poll, if there are any electors in the polling station or in line at the door who have not voted since their arrival at the polling station, the poll shall be kept open a sufficient time to enable them to vote, but a person who is not present at the time of closing shall not be allowed to vote, even if others are still voting when he or she arrives.
1967, c.9, s.59; 1971, c.29, s.4; 1974, c.12 (Supp.), s.14; 1980, c.17, s.16; 1994, c.47, s.6; 1997, c.42, s.2; 2006, c.6, s.13; 2010, c.6, s.44; 2010, c.31, s.37