Important Update for Electors

The Returning Officer for the Municipality of the County of Inverness provided an Amended List of Electors to the candidates running in the 2020 Municipal Election that displayed the birthdates of the Electors. The List of Electors is a confidential list that is not available for inspection or distribution and is to be used solely by the candidates as a reference guide for campaigning. Upon the conclusion of the election all electoral lists and copies are expected to be returned with an affidavit completed by each of the candidates that confirms they deleted or destroyed any electronic and physical copies. Personal information contained in the list of electors is protected under the Municipal Election Act. The use of this list for any other purpose would be considered a corrupt action under the Act.

Like other municipalities in Nova Scotia, the Municipality of the County of Inverness is allowing electronic, telephone and in-person voting. The Municipality has made every effort possible to make voting more accessible during this pandemic in order to ensure the health and safety of residents, staff, candidates, and election support workers.

The Municipality is utilizing phone and e-voting systems that have incorporated a rigid validation process and format to ensure the continued integrity and confidentiality of the voting process. Regardless of the release of the birthdates of electors, the Municipality has a multi-step audit process to validate the identity of the elector.

Voting irregularities are always a concern and using a relatively new method of voting, like e-voting, can heighten those concerns. The staff of the Municipality of the County of Inverness are taking the steps required to identify electors during the e-voting, telephone voting and in-person polling processes.