Elections New Brunswick urges residents to update voter info as election speculation continues

Elections New Brunswick is urging residents to update their voter information as speculation about an impending election continues.

The provincial agency announced on Monday that residents should expect a “bright yellow envelope” to arrive this week, which will contain information that details the steps Elections New Brunswick has taken to make voting safer for both electors and the election workers.

“We want people to call us if any of the information, such as the name of an individual listed as living at that address, is incorrect,” said Chief Electoral Officer Kim Poffenroth.

“Having our voter’s list as up to date as possible will help us to process electors more efficiently whenever the next election takes place.”

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The mailer from Elections New Brunswick comes only a few days after Premier Blaine Higgs was confirmed as the candidate in the riding of Quispamsis.

Other Tories, including Health Minister Ted Flemming, Education Minister Dominic Cardy, Economic Development Minister Mary Wilson and MLA Gary Crossman, were also confirmed over the weekend in their respective ridings.

The New Brunswick Progressive Conservative Party sits in a precarious political position, with 20 seats in the provincial legislature. There are 20 Liberals, three People’s Alliance, three Greens, one Independent, and two vacancies.

Higgs said last week that he wasn’t sure if he’d hold three possible byelections by mid-October or send New Brunswickers to the polls in a general election.

He said he doesn’t want an election but needs to ensure stability in New Brunswick as the province recovers from the impacts of COVID-19 and a possible second wave of the pandemic.

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Elections New Brunswick said the information in the envelope will also provide information on the various options that are available for people to vote, including options designed to flatten the curve.

“Our goal is to flatten the election curve by encouraging people to vote early, either at advance polls or at the returning office, to shift voter traffic away from the traditional peak voting times,” Poffenroth said.