Elections NB says candidate Facebook posts don’t pose an issue
Polling stations have been busy with a steady influx of voters throughout the St. John River Valley.
In Woodstock, for example, one polling station recorded over 300 ballots cast in the first few hours of voting.
Under election laws, candidates are restricted to what they can post in the 24 hours prior to the election and on voting day.
Many candidates posted notices and shared social media content in that timeframe, prompting some residents to express concerns about possible violations of the Restricted Advertising Period.
According to Elections NB, the Restricted Advertising Period begins at 12:01 a.m. on the Sunday before the election and lasts until the polls close on election day.
Monitoring of the period is carried out by citizens and candidates, who are encouraged to contact Elections NB if they believe that any election rules have been violated.
Those found in violation of the period are typically contacted and asked to take down the restricted content.
In responding to online comments and calls made to the River Valley Sun about candidates thanking supporters and encouraging people to vote, Director of Communication and Community Outreach for Elections NB, Paul Harpelle, says those types of posts are not considered ‘advertising.’
Harpelle clarified that these apply only to paid advertisements, not to campaign accounts, saying that the posts did not count as unsolicited advertisements.
He further stated that boosted posts, promoted tweets, and all other paid social media advertisements would constitute a violation.
Polls close at 8 p.m. Election results are expected to start appearing online at ElectionsNB.ca shortly after, with all results expected by 10 p.m.
