18 months of work readies Elections NB for provincial election
More than 5,000 people will be employed during the election
The job of getting 49 electoral districts and a satellite office across New Brunswick ready for the Sept. 24 provincial election began Tuesday as tractor trailers were loaded with everything a returning office would need.
"It's moving day at Elections New Brunswick," said Chief Electoral Officer Kimberly Poffenroth.
Pallets contain everything from paper clips, pens, laptops and printers. More were loaded and to be sent to the returning offices that will open Aug. 23.
- Gallant's lead in polls bodes well for his re-election in September
- Liberals grade themselves high on several election promises
- New Brunswick election could set a trend for media manipulation: professor
"Everything they'll need to administer the election in their offices so they'll be open to the public when we anticipate the writs being issued," said Poffenroth.
Polling station material will be sent out later in the week.
How long does it take to pack for a provincial election? Poffenroth said things got started in April 2017.
"We've been working on it ever since, preparing training materials for the polling officials and the workers in the returning offices, ordering all the supplies."
Poffenroth said it takes the better part of 18 months to be ready for the election.
More than 4,500 people will work at the advance polls and on election day and hiring for those jobs will take place as soon as the returning offices are open.
"The returning officers are responsible for hiring those individuals and they'll be trained later in September," said the elections official.
There are between 200 and 300 people working at the returning offices Poffenroth added.
"Their training was done in the month of July for returning officers, election clerks, training officers as well as technical support workers."
Poffenroth said the tabulation machines will only be shipped out after nominations have closed and the ballots have been printed.
Having a fixed election date makes things much easier and allows for a lot of lead time, she added.
"It gives us lots of time for preparation and a smooth running election."
With files from Jon Collicott