Evidence of meeting #114 for Procedure and House Affairs in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was elections.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Scott Simms Liberal Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL
Yes. You mentioned that you'd like to get Russian money. I just thought I'd....
Leader, Rhinoceros Party
Oh, yes. Well, maybe in Bitcoin, because it may be harder for Elections Canada to track.
Liberal
Scott Simms Liberal Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL
There you go. All right.
It's good to see you again, by the way. It's good to see the old gang.
I want to turn my questions now to the State of Louisiana and to you, Ms. Hadskey. You've been involved in elections for some time. I understand that you have a pre-register list for people below the age of 18. Is that correct?
Liberal
Scott Simms Liberal Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL
Do you care to comment on the success—or not—of that particular program?
Commissioner of Elections, Louisiana Secretary of State
It's fairly new. It has been successful. In terms of the people who register, if they're 17 years old and they're going to turn 18 prior to the election, they are allowed to vote. The students seem to really like that.
The other thing we have is that we allow them to work as a commissioner at the age of 17 if they want to learn about the election process and get involved. Especially when certain schools offer credit hours for time served as an elections commissioner in learning the process, it's really a great thing.
The earlier you can get people involved, the better. In our state, the younger generation does not turn out nearly as much as the older generation. We really push hard to get the younger generation out to vote. It's difficult.
Liberal
Scott Simms Liberal Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL
Does the state elections commission provide a campaign how younger people can be involved and register? Do you have a marketing plan?
Commissioner of Elections, Louisiana Secretary of State
We do. In the State of Louisiana there are 64 parishes. Each parish's clerk of court offers training. We have an outreach program that goes into schools.
The great thing, and my favourite part, which I've done since I was 19 years old—I've been in elections since I was 19, and I'm 53, by the way, so that makes it a long time—is a program through which our voting equipment is allowed to be used in all the schools if they request it. We go in and conduct their homecoming queen election or their whatever type of election. They get hands-on time with the voting equipment.
While we're there, we go over registration information with them. We cover just what you're talking about: the fact that you can register earlier than 18 years of age and things like that. It really does help.
Liberal
Scott Simms Liberal Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL
I congratulate you on your proactivity. That sounds really good.
On that issue again, I should say that this is new for us, as it is relatively new for you. Are there any problems you're having that we should be aware of if we're implementing this particular program?
Commissioner of Elections, Louisiana Secretary of State
I can't think of one problem that we've had. I really can't. It's been a great tool in helping people to get out there, register, be involved, and turn out to vote. Anything we can do to try to help with that is a great thing.
Liberal
Scott Simms Liberal Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL
Thank you so much.
As you know, in our legislation that we're proposing here, we are looking at stricter conditions for third party influence. I have more of a general question on American politics. We're used to seeing American television and seeing a lot of involvement from third parties, or “super PACs”, political action committees; I think that's the common term. Do you in your state do anything to curb the influence of third parties? Is there any type of legislation that you have in place?
Commissioner of Elections, Louisiana Secretary of State
I don't know if you know, but we don't have party primaries. Did you know that? In Louisiana, everyone qualifies, no matter what party they are in, and then we have a primary election and a general election. It's not, I don't think, as in—
Liberal
Scott Simms Liberal Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL
That's right. You have a runoff. Is that correct? You have two elections in case...right?
Commissioner of Elections, Louisiana Secretary of State
That's right. Whoever wants to qualify for the primary does qualify. We run our election, and the top two people there go into the general one.
Liberal
Scott Simms Liberal Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL
The top two do. Okay, and certainly there are no low limitations on involvement of third parties or anything else.
How about the parties themselves? Are there any limitations within what we call a “writ period”? At the time when the election is drawing near, do you have any type of limitations for donations to individual candidates?
Commissioner of Elections, Louisiana Secretary of State
In Louisiana, we have a separate division—it's not part of my department—with regard to campaign finance. It's called the Office of Campaign Finance. That is how all of the rules and guidelines are provided to each candidate when they qualify in the state, and they have to abide by all of those rules and guidelines.
Liberal
Liberal
Conservative
Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB
Yes.
Mr. Simms was able to save me a bit of time, Ms. Hadskey, because he asked some of the questions that I wanted to ask in regard to your pre-18 voter registration, but I still have a couple of questions on that, so I'll start there.
At what age do you start collecting those? Is there a certain age at which they qualify to be on that list?
Conservative
Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB
It's 16. Okay. It's voluntary? In other words, would it be because the young person has asked to be on the list? How does that work?
Commissioner of Elections, Louisiana Secretary of State
It's if they would like to be. Let's say your parent went in to register, you went with them, and you wanted to be put on the list. You'd fill out your information with the office of the registrar of voters. Each parish has a registrar of voters.
Conservative
Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB
It sounds as though maybe there was parental involvement or parental consent involved in that, or is it just a young person signing up?
