What you need to know to vote in the P.E.I. plebiscite

Watch your mail box this week. All registered voters can expect the voter information card they will need to vote in the province-wide plebiscite.

It will include a personal identification number, or PIN, and you'll need that number to vote electronically, and you will need the card to vote in-person.

Online and phone voting a first for P.E.I.

The plebiscite is being held from Oct 29 to Nov 7 on how P.E.I. elects its MLAs.

This is the first time Islanders will have the option of voting online or over the phone.

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As an added measure of security for the plebiscite, when you log in to vote electronically, you'll also need to enter your date of birth.

"If you've moved, or for whatever reason the mail man delivers it to the wrong address, or your address is out of date with Elections P.E.I. and your voter information card falls into a stranger's hand, that stranger cannot open up the card, see your PIN and steal your vote because they don't know your date of birth," said Brian Lack, president of Simply Voting Inc.

It's very simple- Gary McLeod, P.E.I.'s chief electoral officer.

His company was chosen from among three that submitted proposals to conduct theinternetand phone voting.

Those choosing to vote online will have to sign in and register with their PIN and date of birth.

When you do, you'll see five options.There is adrop-down menu that allows you to rank your choices, from one to five.

E-voting offers same options as paper ballot

If you choose to vote by phone, you'llbe prompted by voice options.

"It's very simple," said GaryMcLeod, P.E.I.'schief electoral officer. "Just follow the prompts that are given."

If you decide to stick with tradition and vote in person, there will be paper ballots where you can pick your preferences.

There will be 22 voting locations across the province for those who want to mark their "X" in person.

Each one will have two to three ballot boxes.

If you aren't registered you can still vote in person if you can produce a photo ID and something with your home address on it.

Record number of eligible voters

There are 101,000 eligible voters in this plebiscite.

That makes the largest pool ofeligible voters P.E.I. has ever seen. It also includes 16 and 17 year olds for the first time.

"What I would like to see, is somewhere over50 per centof the voters use the internet ortelephone to vote," said McLeod. Elections P.E.I. plans tohave about 60,000 paper ballots printed.

Of those who opt for e-voting, about 90 per cent are expected to vote online, with just 10 per cent choosing to register their vote over the phone, said Lack.

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