The Chief Electoral Officer is appointed by the Lieutenant Governor on the unanimous recommendation of the Legislative Assembly. An all-party committee is responsible for making a unanimous recommendation to the Legislative Assembly on who should be appointed to this important position. The appointment of the Chief Electoral Officer is for a fixed term: two elections plus one year.
As a statutory Officer of the Legislature, the Chief Electoral Officer reports directly to the Legislative Assembly through the Speaker. As an independent officer, the Chief Electoral Officer can make orders and regulations, and must exercise their responsibilities in an impartial manner. The Chief Electoral Officer cannot be a member of a political party, make contributions to a party or candidate or vote in any provincial elections.
The position of Chief Electoral Officer was created in 1947. Prior to that, the responsibility for overseeing elections had been assigned to the Registrar of the Supreme Court from 1871-1899, then to the Deputy Provincial Secretary from 1899-1940. In 1940, the position of Registrar General of Voters was created to take over some of the Deputy Provincial Secretary’s duties. In 1950, the Chief Electoral Officer was also appointed Registrar General of Voters. The positions were subsequently held jointly until the position of Registrar General of Voters was abolished in 1995. In 1995, the Chief Electoral Officer became an independent Officer of the Legislature.
| Term | Chief Electoral Officer | |
| June 1, 2018 – Present | Anton Boegman Biography |
 |
| September 1, 2011 – May 31, 2018 |
Keith Archer, Ph.D. | .jpg) |
| November 7, 2002 – June 5, 2010 | Harry Neufeld |  |
| May 2, 1990 – June 6, 2002 | Robert A. Patterson |  |
| April 15, 1980 – May 2, 1990 | Harry Morris Goldberg |  |
| June 1, 1968 – October 1, 1979 | Kenneth Loudon Morton |  |
| April 1, 1947 – June 1, 1968 | Frederick Harold Hurley |  |
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