A byelection will be held for District 9 Charlottetown-Hillsborough Park following Friday’s death of Green candidate Josh Underhay.
However, electors in the district will still be able to vote on P.E.I.’s electoral reform referendum Tuesday.
After consulting with the referendum commissioner, Elections P.E.I. has decided to proceed only with the referendum portion of the ballot in the district.
Staff from both Elections P.E.I. and Referendum P.E.I. offered their condolences to Underhay’s family.
“We at Elections P.E.I. and Referendum P.E.I. have Mr. Underhay, his son, family and everyone grieving over this terrible accident in our thoughts,” said a statement from the province's chief electoral officer Tim Garrity and referendum commissioner Gerard Mitchell.
Section 45 of P.E.I.’s Election Act states that if an officially nominated candidate dies between the closing of nominations and the election, the province’s chief electoral officer shall order the withdrawal of the grant of poll. A new polling day, no more than three months after the death, is then fixed, according to the legislation.
Garrity said there will be an announcement in the coming weeks about the date of the byelection.
