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February 20, 1996
(Office of the Chief Electoral Officer)
NOTE TO EDITORS:
Advisory governing access to polling stations
on February 22, 1996
Section 65 of the Election Act permits only
election officials, candidates, accredited agents of the
candidates and electors to remain inside polling stations. In the
interests of reasonably accommodating the media, the chief
electoral officer has in recent electoral events permitted
supervised media access to a polling station subject to mutually
satisfactory arrangements being worked out with the returning
officer for the district.
In order to better coordinate access to polling stations, you
are requested to contact Susan Laite, Public Information Officer
with the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer by 3 p.m.,
Wednesday, February 21, 1996 if you wish entry to a polling
station on February 22, 1996. Ms. Laite will then arrange with an
appropriate returning officer to escort you to a poll at a
mutually agreeable time on February 22, 1996.
The general parameters for media access are as follows:
- The returning officer shall ensure that media
representatives do not interact with any person inside
the polling station. Equipment is to be set up quickly at
a place to the side of the polling station entrance that
will portray the voting line but not be so close as to
interfere with voting or focus on individuals.
- The returning officer is to escort the media
representative from the polling station after brief and
reasonable access.
- Access will not be granted or will be abruptly terminated
should any elector inside or entering the polling station
object to media presence.
The returning officers in the electoral district of Bay of
Islands, the electoral district of Humber East and the electoral
district of Signal Hill - Quidi Vidi have been instructed to
accommodate the media at the polls where the three party leaders
are to vote. With these exceptions, it is not possible to
guarantee media access to polls on election day unless
pre-arranged in advance with Ms. Laite and the returning officer.
Contact: Susan Laite, Public Information Officer, 729-0712 or
1-800-563-4043.
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