Annual REPORT - Elections Manitoba

Impacts:
Enumeration strategy: The legislation allows for enumeration to begin 75 days in advance
of election day. An enumeration strategy was developed to address the earlier start date,
taking into account the potential for more moves, the relocation of many Manitobans to
their cottages for the summer, the need for more repeat visits by enumerators with many
voters being away on vacation, and the return home of those post-secondary students
who live in residence during the school year.
Changes within the election calendar: Nominations closed 21 days before election
day instead of 15 days. Completion of the preliminary voters list was required 40 days
before election day instead of 17 days before election day. The revision period was also
lengthened, from six days to 29 days. While dates for enumeration, revision and close of
nominations are established in the legislation, writ day was not set and could have taken
place on any day within an eight-day period.
Recruitment and Training: RO and ARO recruitment for the 40th General Election began
a full two years before election day. With 114 positions to fill, as well as a significant
number that needed to be re-filled as incumbents’ circumstances changed over the twoyear
period, recruitment for this election was a considerable task. Training got underway
in March 2010, with seven separate sessions held over a 16-month period, including two
additional sessions for later appointees. Of the 114 positions filled, 33 were re-hired from
the 2007 General Election, or 29% of the total.
Address Database [s. 64.1]: A provincial address database was developed to implement Bill 37
(2008) requirements. The database houses civic/geographic addresses and serves as a tool to
support and simplify the enumeration process.
Impacts:
Data was sourced from the City of Winnipeg, City of Brandon, Manitoba Local Government,
Manitoba Hydro and Elections Manitoba’s own past enumeration data. A database model
was developed and linked to Elections Manitoba’s existing Voter Enumeration System
(VES). Data was evaluated for quality and reliability, tested in the field and enhancements
to the system were made accordingly.
The address database met with varying degrees of success across the province. Some
difficulties were encountered with geo coding rural addresses, and the data sources used
to feed the database did not always capture unit numbers in apartment buildings. Work in
2012 will focus on reviewing the database to assess how it can be improved for use in future
elections.
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