On October 18, 2005, the Lieutenant Governor in Council approved the Plebiscites Act, Provincial Plebiscite Re Prince Edward Island's Electoral Future (EC2005-566) and the Plebiscites Act - Proportional System Regulations (EC2005-567).
The Lieutenant Governor in Council set the date for the plebiscite vote on a Mixed Member Proportional Representation System as presented by the Commission on PEI's Electoral Future for November 28, 2005. You can view the Report of the Chief Electoral Officer [PDF, 1.0MB] for the plebiscite.
If you require information on the Commission or the Commission's proposal for Mixed Member Representation System, you can view the Commission's Final Report [PDF, 84KB].
The province approved the question for the plebiscite as presented by the Commission and electors were asked to indicate their approval (yes) or disapproval (no) in respect of the plebiscite by answering the following question:
Should Prince Edward Island change to the Mixed Member Proportional System as presented by the Commission of PEI's Electoral Future?
Because no emumeration of electors was conducted, and no Official List of Electors prepared, no official count of electors is available for the plebiscite. An approximate idea of voter turnout can be calculated using the 2003 Provincial General Election figure of 97,180 eligible electors.
To determine eligibility to vote in the plebiscite, electors were asked the following questions before being given a ballot paper:
If the elector answered "yes" to (a), (b) and (c)), and "no" to (d), the election officials entered the full name and full civic address of the elector in the poll book. The election official then asked the elector to sign the poll book to indicate that the information given was true and accurate.
A provincial plebiscite was held in all 27 electoral districts of Prince Edward Island beginning on October 31, 2005 with the issue of the Writs to district Returning Officers. There was one Returning Officer in each of Prince Edward Island's 27 electoral districtions; a complete list of Returning Officers is available.
Electors wishing to cast their ballots by mail must have completed an Application for Registration and Mail-in Ballot - Proportional System Plebiscite which had to have been returned or faxed to Elections PEI no later than 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 15th, 2005.
Further information regarding the voting in the plebiscite may be obtained by contacting Elections P.E.I., 94 Great George Street, P.O. Box 774, Charlottetown, P.E.I. C1A 7L3, telephone (902) 368-5895; toll free at 1-888-234-VOTE (8683); fax number (902) 368-6500.
