Chief Electoral Officer to Appoint Returning Officers

[scribblet]

According to a Globe and Mail report, the PM will hand over the job of appointing returning officers to the chief electoral officer, which will mean the party in power will no longer have these appointments at its disposal. The measure will be part of the Federal Accountability Act. Insiders indicated that CPC MP Scott Reid lobbied cabinet ministers to include this provision in the Act . wwwlglobeandmail.com page 4

This is something I am in full agreement with (provincially also). I've seen firsthand where a very good RO was given the boot in my riding, to be replaced with an incompetent liberal hack. The R.O. should have to apply and be hired on merit.

Personally, I would like to see a permanent riding office used both provincially and federally with one non partisian returning officer. This would be ideal if we could have set election dates both fed. and prov. It would make for a better and smoother running operation. Even permanent polling stations would help, no more running around looking for sites and getting contracts.

IMHO there should also be a better process for hiring DROs and Poll Clerks, the tradition of names coming from the parties should be looked at, and taken out of the election act. (too many dummies wanting the jobs )....

[August1991]

Prime Minister Stephen Harper will give up one of the governing party's most valuable patronage plums by handing over to the chief electoral officer the power to appoint returning officers in every one of Canada's ridings, The Globe and Mail has learned.

G & M

This is very good news. Canada's democracy has been compromised for many years because of the ways polling officers are appointed. Parties divied up the "spiles" according to votes in previous elections.

Personally, I would like to see a permanent riding office used both provincially and federally with one non partisian returning officer.

Quebec has a permanent election list. In the US, federal election voting is entirely organized by the state governments.

Maybe we should do the same and let the provincial governments be responsible for organizing federal electoral lists, balloting and counting. This would remove a conflict of interest.

[scribblet]

Prime Minister Stephen Harper will give up one of the governing party's most valuable patronage plums by handing over to the chief electoral officer the power to appoint returning officers in every one of Canada's ridings, The Globe and Mail has learned.

G & M

This is very good news. Canada's democracy has been compromised for many years because of the ways polling officers are appointed. Parties divied up the "spiles" according to votes in previous elections.

Personally, I would like to see a permanent riding office used both provincially and federally with one non partisian returning officer.

Quebec has a permanent election list. In the US, federal election voting is entirely organized by the state governments.

Maybe we should do the same and let the provincial governments be responsible for organizing federal electoral lists, balloting and counting. This would remove a conflict of interest.

Agreed.

As far as I know, the appointment of DROs and Poll clerks will still be submitted by the parties in power, that is something that definitely should be changed. The R.O. can use his/her discretion and remove someone they feel is incompetent etc. but they will get flak from the party.