CHAPTER V. THE PROVINCIAL ASSEMBLIES. 1. QUALIFICATIONS OF ELECTORS. THE qualifications required of electors to the Assemblies Electors. vary very considerably in the different provinces. All agree in requiring electors to be 1. Males, 2. Of the age of 21 years, 3. And not under any special legal disqualification. British Columbia is the only province that does not exact a property qualification of some kind: Ontario is the only province that accepts an income or wages qualification. The following is a brief summary of the qualifications in each province. Ontario. The qualifications of electors are governed by c. 9 of the Ontario. Revised Statutes of 1887. The following persons are entitled to be registered as voters. 1. Persons entered on the assessment roll as owners, Property. tenants, or occupants of real property of the value of (a) $200 in cities and towns or (b) $100 in villages and townships. (a) entered as such on the assessment roll of the municipality, House holders. Income. Wages. Landholders' sons. Indians. (b) and residing at the time of the election in the electoral district for which they vote, (c) and who have resided there continuously since the completion of the previous assessment roll. 3. Persons assessed at an annual income of $250 and (a) residing in the electoral district, and (b) who have resided there continuously since the last revision. 4. Every person entered on the assessment roll as having earned in any trade or occupation during the previous 12 months not less than $250 and residing in the electoral district. 5. A landholder's son, stepson, grandson or son-inlaw who has resided in his father's house for 12 months prior to the making up of the assessment roll and who is resident within the electoral district. Absence for any period not exceeding six months in the year is not to disqualify, and the time spent at any institution of learning within the Province of Ontario, or as a mariner or as a fisherman in the prosecution of his calling, is reckoned as spent in the father's house. 6. (a) Where there is a voters' list all Indians or persons with part Indian blood who have been duly enfranchised', and all Indians or persons with part Indian blood who do not reside among Indians though participating in the annuities, moneys, or rents of a tribe are entitled to be registered as voters subject to the same provisions as other persons in the electoral district. (b) Where there are no voters' lists, Indians or persons with part Indian blood are entitled to vote only (i) if they have been duly enfranchised, or (ii) if not being duly enfranchised they do not participate in the annuities, interest, moneys or rents of a tribe or body of Indians and do not 1 An enfranchised Indian means an Indian who has by letters patent received a grant in fee simple of a portion of a reserve, see 43 Vic. c. 28, 46 Vic. c. 6. reside amongst Indians, and if in addition in either case they possess one of the usual qualifications. In those districts where there is no assessment roll a Where no person in order to vote must (a) be resident and domiciled in the district in which (b) own real estate in such district of the value (c) be a resident householder in such district at the (d) have been such owner and householder for the Quebec. assessment roll. The qualifications are governed by the 38 Vic. c. 7, ss. Quebec. 7-9. Voters must be, 1. Owners or occupants of real estate of the value of Property. $300 in any city municipality entitled to return one or more members, and of the value of $200 in any other municipality, or tion. 2. Tenants of real estate paying an annual rent of $30 Occupain any city municipality entitled to return one or more members, and of $20 in any other municipality, such real estate being of the values of $300 and $200 respectively. Nova Scotia. The qualifications of electors depend on the 48 Vic. c. 21. Nova The following persons are entitled to vote. Scotia. 1. Persons assessed in respect of real property of Property. the value of $150 or of real and personal property of the value of $300. 2. Persons possessed at the previous assessment of real property or of real and personal property of the above 1 See also N. S. Rev. Stat. 1884, c. 4, 8. 14. Tenancy. Sons. Sons of widows. amounts and who have been specially exempted from taxation. 3. Tenants at the time of the previous assessment of real property of the value of $150 where the assessment was levied on the owner thereof, or persons the assessment value of whose personal property combined with that of the real property occupied by him as tenant is of the value of $300. 4. Sons of persons qualified as above, provided that (a) such persons are possessed of sufficient property to qualify more than one voter, and that (b) the son has resided in the residence of his father or on the property owned by his father within the district for at least one year prior to the previous assessment. 5. Sons of a widow, provided such widow at the time of the last assessment shall have been in possession of property sufficient to give a vote and such son has fulfilled the conditions of residence just mentioned. In cases 4 and 5, the elder son is preferred to the younger if the property is not sufficient to qualify both. Occasional absences from home are not to disqualify sons provided they do not exceed four months in the year. New Bruns wick. Property. Income. New Brunswick. The qualifications of electors are regulated by the Consol. Stat. 1877, c. 4, which requires as a qualification to vote 1. Assessment for the year, for which the registry is made up, in respect of real estate of the value of $100, or of personal property or of real and personal property together of the value of $400, or 2. Assessment for such year at an annual income of $400. In those districts in which there is no assessment, possession of the qualification is sufficient. Prince Edward's Island. Edward's The Election Law of 1878 (41 Vic. c. 14) as amended by Prince subsequent Acts was repealed by the 42 Vic. c. 2, reviving the Island. 24 Vic. c. 34. The last mentioned Act has been amended by the 45 Vic. c. 1. The following classes of persons may be come voters: 1. Owners of freehold estate in one whole water lot, Property. common lot, town lot, or pasture lot, situate in a town, common, or royalty. 2. Owners of freehold estate in land or buildings of the yearly value of 40s. 3. Owners of leasehold estates where the estate with improvements thereon is of a value of £35. 4. Occupants of houses, buildings or land in a town, Occupacommon or royalty of the annual value of 40s. The above qualifications confer a vote for the town, common, or royalty, or electoral district in which the property is situated, provided the property has been owned or possessed for 12 months previous to the teste of the writ for holding an election. tion. labour. 5. Persons liable to statute labour who have per- Statute formed the same and have resided in the polling district for 12 months. 6. Persons resident in Charlottetown and Summer- Taxes. side who have paid the provincial or civil poll tax for the year. Manitoba. By the Consol. Stat. 1880, c. 3, the following classes of Manitoba. voters are recognised :— Owner ship. (a) Owners of real estate of the value of $100, Tenancy. $200 and paying an annual rent of $20, (c) Occupants and bona fide householders on land Occuof an annual value of $20. pancy. |