Enumeration has begun for the provincial election, April 19th.

Alison Mitchell is Manager of Communications and Public Information with Elections Manitoba. She says enumeration runs from February 4 to March 7. Elections Manitoba enumerators will be

(Enumerators will visit homes wearing a yellow Elections Manitoba vest)wearing bright yellow vests with an official Elections Manitoba name tag. That name tag will be signed by the Returning Officer and include dates for when they are authorized to enumerate.

Mitchell says if you don't get a visit on or before March 7, you are clearly not on the voters list. If you have been missed or if you want to change or update your information, there is a revision period that follows. You can get in touch with your Returning Officer to have your name added to the list. And if you miss the revision period, you can still have your name added to the list at advance voting or on Election Day when you go to vote.

According to Mitchell, enumerators are required to hit a home a second time, if there is nobody home on the first visit. Enumerators are asked to go at different times of day, in order to try and catch people at home. After a second, unsuccessful visit, the enumerator will leave a card with contact

(Look for their Photo ID badge, which includes their name, position and photo)information for the Returning Officer. It is then up to the voter to make an appointment for the enumerator to come back or go visit the Returning Officer.

Mitchell says Elections Manitoba does not keep a permanent voters list but is expected to start a new list each election. If there are three eligible voters in a house, but only one of them is home when the enumerator comes by, they are allowed to provide the information for the other eligible voters not home.

To be eligible to vote on April 19th, you must be a Canadian citizen, at least 18 years of age by Election Day and a resident of Manitoba for at least six months prior to April 19.

Mitchell says there are between 2700 and 3000 enumerators going door to door. She says these are people that live in your neighbourhood. The information they will be asking for is first of all to confirm you are eligible to vote. They will then ask for a phone number, which is optional and date of birth and gender, which are also optional. Mitchell says phone numbers are given to candidates and political parties, while information concerning birth dates and gender helps create permanent voters lists for upcoming elections.

(Photo credit: Elections Manitoba)