ISLANDERS SPLIT

Electoral reform poll shows residents are divided.

It appears Islanders may be divided on whether to change the way they vote.

A new poll from Corporate Research Associates shows 46 per cent of P.E.I. residents surveyed said they feel the current voting system should continue while 39 per cent believe it should be changed.

Another 14 per cent did not offer an opinion.

Regionally, residents in Kings County are more likely to prefer keeping the current voting system, as compared to residents elsewhere on the Island.

A total of 75 per cent of Kings county residents surveyed preferred the current system.

Meanwhile, Prince and Queens counties appear more divided. Residents of both counties were in the 40 per cent range supporting both the status quo and electoral reform.

Islanders will go to the polls beginning on Oct. 29 to choose between five options for electoral change, including the status quo.

Don Mills, chairman and CEO of Corporate Research Associates, says the multi-choice ballot may be working against any movement for change.

“The complexity of explaining various alternate voting methods only serves to confuse the issue of electoral reform,” he said.

These results are based on a telephone sample of 301 adult P.E.I. residents, conducted from Aug. 9 to 31 with overall results accurate to within plus or minus 5.6 percentage points, 95 times out of 100.