Bill 185 enters discussion phase
Tabled on May 15, Bill 185, an act to postpone school board elections from 2018 until 2020, entered the discussion phase at the national assembly on Wednesday.
The bill, if passed, will defer scheduled school board elections until November, 2020 in an effort to avoid the voter fatigue of following provincial elections, scheduled for October of this year.
The bill also aims to give the government time to explore the possibility of remote voting (possibly via internet) as an option for the 2020 election.
Four briefs were presented during Wednesday’s discussion; one from Director of Elections Pierre Reid, One from Quebec Ombudsman Marie Rinfret, one from concerned citizen Chris Eustace and a combined memorandum from the Quebec English School Boards association (QESBA) and its French counterpart, the Fédération des commissions scolaires du Québec (FCSQ).
The QESBA and FCSQ endorsed all
Greyeys and Ann Rothfels . The two authors then shared their stories with a group of children at the Lennoxville Library as well as with a group of adults with special needs at the Dixville Home Foundation Drop in Centre. Both of those groups then produced mixedmedia artworks based on the stories they were told, which now serve as the illustrations for the book.
aspects of the bill, even including resolutions in support of a study to implement a system of voting online.
Marie Rinfret took issue with the measure in the bill involving remote voting, explaining that there is currently no system in place to accommodate prisoners, who like other citizens, have the right to vote.
Pierre Reid also opposed remote voting in his brief, explaining that 2020 would not be enough time to develop and implement a secure system, and added that in other parts of the world, remote voting has not proven to represent cost savings for elections or improve voter turnout.
Chris Eustace opposed the postponement of elections, claiming it was an affront to the democratic process and could allow boards that have corrupt members to hold paid positions for another two years.