Elections P.E.I. prepares while waiting for provincial election call

Elections P.E.I.is busy getting ready for the next provincial election, while awaiting an official date to actually be set.

The province's governing Liberal party has the ability to call the next election at any time, but manyare expecting the call this spring.

"It definitely does have its challenges," saidTim Garrity, the chief electoral officer with Elections P.E.I.

"Something I would compare it tothat most people could understand is,it's like you're trying to book your vacationbut you don't know when your flight is going to leave."

Venues, volunteers in limbo

Until thenthe organization mustwaittobook office spaces, polling stations and hire the roughly2,000 people to help work the election.

Garrity said it has been hard to get people to fully commit when they don't know when they'll be needed.

"Without being able to tell them exactly what their start day is going to beor what days we're going to need them on, maybe this is a bit of an idea ofa window we have, so that can be very challenging," Garrity said.

Many locations that are oftenused for election purposes are also getting booked up for April and May.

'We can't guess'

"We can only have it available if you warn us," says Catherine Edward, who works with St. Peter's Cathedralin Charlottetown and managesthe hall booking.

The hall has been used in past federal, provincial and municipal elections. It has already been booked for the Oct. 21 federal election.

"You have to book it. We can't guess when the next election's going to be, so we wait on the government but we cannot hold a space for them, because this facility is for everybody."

The next provincial election will also hold areferendum on electoral reform. The government began the referendum period in January.

According to the legislation,the last day an election can be called is Sept. 3.

Islanders will vote on the election ballotwhether to change to a mixed-member proportional voting system or keep the status quo.

'We just don't know'

Garrity saidthe decision and timing of the election is in the government's handsand Elections P.E.I.hasnot been given a heads-up.

"We do not know when the election is going to be. We do look at the calendar.We look at dates.We look at possibilitiesas toif the writ was dropped here, when would election day be?" he said. "the reality is, we just don't know."

Garritysaid he's confident Elections P.E.I.will come up with enough polling stations and staff for the election.

"Of course, there are some things that we just can't do until the writ is dropped ... our feet arerunning in the air and we will hit the ground running as soon as it happens."

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