Tag: electoral boundaries

Last chance to weigh in on the new riding of Tantramar

This week is the last chance for provincial voters to weigh in on changes to electoral boundaries that will see the Memramcook-Tantramar riding split up, creating a new Tantramar riding which will be the smallest in the province.

The proposed riding of Tantramar would be made up of the new municipalities of Tantramar and Strait Shores combined, along with parts of the surrounding Rural District and a small chunk of Cap-Acadie. Image: Electoral Boundaries and Representation Commission preliminary report, 2022.

The commission charged with reviewing New Brunswick’s electoral boundaries is hosting eight online sessions between Wednesday and Saturday this week. A session on Thursday evening from 6pm to 8pm will focus on southeastern ridings, including the new proposed Tantramar district. There are also two sessions open to province-wide input. (Scroll down for session dates and times.)

At first glance, voters in Tantramar might not have too much to complain about, as their votes will carry more weight in electing an MLA in the next provincial election, according to Mount Allison politics professor Mario Levesque.

Dr. Mario Levesque, head of Politics and International Relations at Mount Allison University. Image: policychange.ca

The proposed Tantramar riding would have 9058 electors, while neighbouring Shediac-Beaubassin-Cap-Pelé would have 13,317 electors, the highest number in the province, and 4,259 more potential voters than Tantramar. “From a democratic perspective, you can question that,” says Levesque. And the discrepancy in elector population will likely get worse over time, he says, as other areas of the southeast are expected to grow faster than Tantramar.… Continue