P.E.I. prepares to review electoral districts with appointments to commission

As the province prepares to review P.E.I.'s electoral districts following the 2015 provincial election, six Islanders have been appointed to oversee the process.

Gerald Mitchell has been appointed to chairman of theP.E.I. Electoral Boundaries Commission bySpeaker of the Legislative Assembly, Francis Watts.

Also appointed wereLynn Murray, ofCharlottetown, Elizabeth Shaw, of Alberton, P.E.I., Elmer MacDonald ofAugustine Cove, P.E.I., and Kerri Carpenter of Stratford, P.E.I.

The commission will review the areascomprising the existing 27 electoral districts, including the present electoral boundaries and district names.

The commission will have to make recommendationsto the Speaker after holding public hearings and reviewing various information. That includes enumeration data from the 2015 General Election, existing polling divisions, geographical features, population patterns, communities of interest, municipal boundaries and such other factors they deem important.

The Electoral Boundaries Act says a proposed district shall not be more than 25 per cent above nor 25 per cent below the average number of electors of all the proposed districts.

The commission will submit its report in spring 2017.

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