It should be a good news story. But instead it's a democratic nightmare.
Large numbers of Canadians are flocking to advance polling stations across the country.
Only to leave without casting their ballots because of the long lineups.
Many Canadians complained Friday, the first day people could vote in advance polls, about insufficient staffing, long lineups and long wait times.
And whatever Elections Canada chooses to call it, it is voter suppression.
"We are hearing reports from across the country about two-hour, three-hour lineups," said Quito Maggi, president of Mainstreet Research. "People walking away." "It's going to be a real test of people's patience, and to see whether or not people do have the patience, to sit in line for two, three, four hours."
Because this is bizarre.
Elections Canada will send 5,600 corrected voter information cards to residents in the Toronto-St. Paul's riding after the first batch told people to vote at an address that doesn't exist.
This is enough to make even the Poutine gang green or blue with envy.
It’s a tale of two cards and one ballot to cast. Recently, voters in Winnipeg South Centre were mailed two separate voter cards informing them to show up at two different polling stations. The double mail-out caused confusion among voters about where they should show up to cast their ballots on October 19.
Or make Pierre Poilievre who diddled the Elections Act really excited...
Although hopefully not TOO excited.
But since we know that Con gang must be gearing up to suppress the vote and try to steal the election again, it's the last thing we need.
Elections Canada needs to come clean and tell us whether the Cons didn't give them enough money to run an election properly, in addition to making it more difficult to vote.
Is it just gross incompetence? Or are they under orders to slow down the process and discourage as many voters as possible?
And we need to document what is happening out there by reporting all problems to this site or this one.
So we can get a good idea of the scope of the problem. And whether the election should be postponed until a large
Because we really don't want to see Stephen Harper celebrating his victory like he did last time, hours before the polls closed, even as the robocalls were going out.
In a manner that can only be described as deeply disturbing or CRAZED....
So we really need to make a fuss about this outrageous voter suppression.
Remind Canadians that the Cons did try to steal the last election.
And make it clear to Elections Canada that it better get its act together and pronto.
Because we can't wait to vote...
And the best news? It looks as if the turnout for this election is going to be better than we have seen for a long time.
And the more Canadians who turn out to vote, the less chance Stephen Harper has of clinging to power.
He has reigned long enough.
And with our ballots we shall bury him and his foul regime.
Gosh. Isn't that a great thought?
My kingdom for a shovel !!!!!!
Have a great weekend everybody...
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44 comments:
While Elections Canada has obviously been staffed with harpercon hacks who have corrupted the institution, it might also be the case that the number of people wanting to vote early is unprecedentedly large and EC wasn't equipped for it.
I could be wrong, but it's worth looking into.
They have three people at each polling station.
One takes your card. The second checks the voter registration list. The third prints your name, address etc. on a list. You get your ballot, vote and then sign beside the printed name.
They then hand you back your polling notice that they copied.
I asked why am I signing the list, they told me so that
I wouldn't 't vote twice.
In the past they checked off they checked off the registration list and kept the card/notice.
Somehow the polling notice is no longer considered important and has been replaced with a hand written list.
additionally if the person does not have ID and is being identified by another citizen, ie. A son brought his 80 year old dad to vote. The process of verifying the son and reading a three page notice to the senior takes 10 minutes.
Hence standing in a10 person line up took me 45 minutes to vote.
These changes are ridiculous, inefficient and in the end give the voter a further opportunity to vote again by handing back the voter card.
It is either suppression or typical Harper efficiency.
I agree with Thwap. Advance polls aren't designed to be the main collector of ballots, so a higher-than-expected rush of voters can cause delays. That said, we'll see if Elections Canada rectifies this in the next days by bringing in the necessary staff. (Advance polling continues Sunday and Monday, 11th and 12th)
I voted yesterday and there was no line up, and if anything, the poll was well staffed. I would venture to say that if people are wanting to vote, and are turning out in large numbers then, that is a great sign. I believe that a higher turnout usually is a positive sign for the progressive parties.
My bet is it is more that Elections Canada has been deliberately underfunded like just about every gov't organization (except CSIS and the PMO?).
I was in the line-up yesterday and my poll had a line-up of ~ 100 people for from the time I arrived til I departed 1H 40 minutes later. The need for extra documentation was clearly slowing things down a bit.
The staff clearly had not expected the turnout and extra staff were coming in before I left. Apparently there was a line-up when they opened. At an advanced poll!
When I looked in later about 17:00 there were only perhaps 40 people in the line-up.
Re people walking away, we lost a few, who, like me I think, expected to be in-and-out in 5-10 minutes. However I heard almost everyone saying that they would be back later so as a suppression technique it may not be working.
The line ups are caused due to the redundancy of the Election Canada person having to RE-HAND WRITE the voter's name and address from the given ID - though they alredy have it typed on their list - and then we have to sign our neme by it. The process is VERY TIME CONSUMING - REDUNDANT AND TIME CONSUMING!!
The line ups are caused due to the redundancy of the Election Canada person having to RE-HAND WRITE the voter's name and address from the given ID - though they alredy have it typed on their list - and then we have to sign our neme by it. The process is VERY TIME CONSUMING - REDUNDANT AND TIME CONSUMING!!
EC used to know how to run an election. Before Harper. Advance polling has been growing over the past elections and given the publicity around the Fair Elections they could have been ready. I scrutineered an advanced poll in 2008 and it was very busy - underfunded then, I'd say.
"Or are they under orders to slow down the process and discourage as many voters as possible? "
Never so explicit. I am sure they've seeded their operatives throughout EC. Sabotage by stealth - slow approvals, add layers of authority, ignore problems and above all under-budget.
I walked away yesterday but I will be back today .. I live across the street from the poll LOL
I get the impression the high turnout is people anxious to avoid potential voter suppression foul ups on E day but mostly we are simply dying to vote AGAINST HARPER.
one of the polling officers greeted me by my first name
(we have known each other for over 40 years)
then proceeded to ask to see i.d.
i didn't note any written transcription tho
and never had to sign anything
one thing i do know here
the votes will be counted by hard core conservatives
of no particular high moral respect for the opinions of others
and questionable ability to count actually
i have destroyed a lot of ballots over the years
not finding any one listed fit for office
not once were destroyed votes listed in the final tally
if your car had this many flaws in it
they wouldn't let it on the road
ARRRR -- HOIST THE JOLLY ROGER -- MAN ALL THE GUNS -- WE'RE TAKING BACK OUR COUNTRY!!!
When I worked the polls, we were trained before hand and stuff like that never happened. We do know that election Canada has not been granted more money for reasons such is happening on the early voter's started yesterday. I live in a mall town and the wait was about 20 minutes. They also had to contend with the young voters who had never registered and voted before. I do not blame the young voters for that. I am proud of them because they took the time to vote regardless of the line ups. Not enough people working was the problem.
Irene
Let's get the UN to monitor the election. If I was on Twitter, I'd create a hashtag for it. How about you, Simon?
Some good news... Today's Toronto Star editorial endorses Trudeau."He's ready. Why this country needs Trudeau"
I've been asking the same questions Simon. The level of incompetency worries me. Even calling election Canada was a pathetically incompetent experience where I didn't get to register. I emailed them about this. To their credit, they called me back. I voted yesterday without a hitch, but I know other polling booths did not do so well. Hopefully it's early enough this can change.
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights sent a team to Ottawa on Oct. 5 for a two-week mission....
"The new legislative framework that there is—with the passing of the Fair Elections Act, and what implications there might be in practice—was one of the key issues," Hannah Roberts, the head of the mission, told Embassy on Oct. 10.
Campaign financing and the participation of other groups are of concern, too, she said. http://www.embassynews.ca/news/2015/10/10/osce-looking-at-impact-of-fair-elections-act-on-canadian-election/47721
I'll be casting my ballot on October19th and will wait as long as I have to...........going to savour the moment!
Those people who walked away left for other reason and did say they would be back. We voted yesterday @ dinner time. The line up was not huge. It took about fifteen minutes to vote. Those that left that had prior arrangements such as dinner in the oven etc.
Irene
That RL took just a few minutes. Problem being is there were not enough staff to man the polls,clearly they had no training as well. When I worked the polls ten years ago, we had to take some training which was paid by election Canada. Now on Oct 19th, that might take a lot longer if they do not get more staff. I am sure that they will seeing as the advance polls were not ad adequite.
Irene
I took Elections Canada training on Monday to be a poll clerk in my riding on the 19th. Nothing whatsoever was mentioned about handwriting the voter's name/address and getting their signature so this is very surprising to me. It was not at all part of the training. I believe I will phone the riding office and find out why this is being done.
..... aaaaaand here comes the part where we lose another election.
This is why the 'left' always loses.
This why people hate "the left". Because they always lose.
Because they blow their votes into a million worthless, useless idiotic little bits over piecemeal, divisive little garbage issues that don't matter.
When confronted with a government that is an actual threat - an actual. demonstrable, criminal threat - the Left fall apart into greasy little camps of dimwitted dogfuckers who try to make their issue out of haircuts, or beards, or lez/bi/tranny flavor-of-the-month, flash-in-the-pan refugee concerns; and guess what happens?
Harpo wins again. Majority. For a party that gets, what, roughly, 38 percent of the vote?
Not because the majority want that, but because we, the Left, are too motherflicking stupid to work together. Even when it really, really, really matters.
Look, broskis and systerskis, we have already failed miserably in the most important election any of us will ever see in our lifetimes (2011), and it is largely too late to go back and undo most of the things that have happened since; but listen when I beg you:
DON'T FUCK THIS UP AGAIN, LEFTIES
http://www.strategicvoting.ca/index.html
Also, your entire post is incorrect.
Advance pols are open all over the country. Right now.
More than ever before, ever in Canadian history.
There has never, ever been more opportunity or access to voting. Ever. In the history of the country.
Look, I am as opposed to the current gov't as any of you; but you do no one any favors when you post easily debunked lies.
It makes you no better than "them", ya see?
hi thwap...that might well be the case, but if Elections Canada officials say that voting is also heavier before a long weekend they could have improved their staffing levels. Still it appears that the number of voters who turned out are considerable more than last time, and that can only be good news...
hi jrkrideau....that's very good news. I've been depressed to read that those who left the line might not be back. But I think the desire for change, and our desire to remove Harper will give us extra staying power. So maybe the Con supporters will be the ones who give up this time...;)
hi Willy...It seems to me ridiculous that a line of 10 people should take 45 minutes to process, and if that is the case all over the country it will result in voter suppression. And if the same thing happens on the actual voting day I can see mass confusion. I think I'm going to have to find out where the advance polling station is vote as soon as possible. And based on what happened to you I suggest that everybody do the same thing...
hi FastForward....yeah it would be good if you could do that. Maybe it only applies to advance voting, but it would be good if Elections Canada could clarify the situation....
hi anon...wel that's good news. And yes you're right, if large numbers do vote in this election it will help the progressive side. Because the Cons have a shallower pool of voters, voter suppression is very much in their interest...
hi RLGud.. I must say none of that makes sense. Whatever the reason it's clear that it is delaying the process of voting, and whatever you want to call it that is a form of voter suppression. You'd think we were in Baluchistan instead of Canada and it's not good enough...
hi Norther PoV...yes you're right they dare not be so blatant. But time wasting is hard to pin down, and it is a favourite Republican tactic in some southern states where voter suppression is endemic. I'm glad you live just across the street from the poll. I'm just half a block away so I have no excuse either... ;)
hi lungta...yes that's another thing to worry about. Who guards those advance votes? And of course can Cons count accurately... ;)
hi Jolly Roger...now that's the spirit. Isn't it exciting? We're finally going to get a chance to sink the Con regime. I'll phone Davey Jones' locker and tell them the Cons are coming... ;)
hi Irene....yes I'm sure the Cons have done nothing to speed up voting times, but that is good news about the young voters. I've seen polls suggesting that more of them will vote this time. And if that happens that will be excellent for our chances of beating the Cons...
hi David...you know we joke about that, but it really isn't funny. I don't think anyone can be sure that this election will be fair, and that absolutely unacceptable. Will you write to Ban Ki Moon or will I? I'm willing even if it costs me jail time, but you are the better letter writer... ;)
hi Pamela....I don't want to sound paranoid, but since I live in Harperland I can't trust any government department, and I'd rather be guilty of making a fuss for nothing than sit back and watch the election stolen...
hi anon...well that's good to know. Although it also tells you how far we have fallen. I wish the state of our democracy had been addressed more forcefully during this campaign, but if Canadians keep flocking to th polls as they seem to be doing, no voter suppression scheme will work. So let's go everybody...
hi Kathleen...I was planning to do that too, have a Down with the Dictator party and then herd some of my friends down the street to the voting station. I find that since I don't drink, getting them a little drunk makes my job easier... ;)
hi anon...well I was feeling quite optimistic until I read your comment. But you're right that left has become too fragmented and we need to focus on the big picture. I'm still stunned that some in the progressive blogosphere are still writing about anything but the election, when for me that's all that counts. Hopefully the growing strategic vote movement will help us focus on what is important. I can't believe how popular the idea of strategic voting has become, and it's all good....
hi anon...I'm not sure what you mean. I never said that advance polls were closed. What I and so many others are complaining about is that it's taking too long to voter. And BTW I don't lie. I might very occasionally get my facts wrong. And I might not have as many virtues as I should have, but honesty is one of them...
I was going to do that too. But I just couldn't wait to vote against Harper. ;-)
Simon:
I voted yesterday... went back to the poll (across the street) saw a long line. So I went next door to the library to get a book. Spent an hour browsing because there was an amazing and beautiful harpist playing a concert! What a treat.
Got my book then spent 1 hour 10 minutes waiting/voting. I read my book but chatted too. People determined to vote.
The two other polls at the same location were much quicker.
It does seem so far that the CONs ID and low-funding policies are partly working ... ie slowing things down. Lets hope they ultimately fail and that it gets better from here.
Just another example of the erosion of civil society under the CONs.
That was a very nasty comment. How has the left become "too fragmented"? The Bloc Québécois used to be pretty solidly left, but they are running on racist dogwhistle stuff this time round. There are good Green candidates (including a certain Daniel Green (!) but they aren't really a factor here in Montréal, and if any are elected in BC, I think they'd be a plus for any non-Harperite government.
I'd certainl rather see Trudeau (pas un 100 watt) elected than Harper (nasty ecocideal fascist scum) but the Liberal Party is not on the left.
I went mid-afternoon, on a nasty cold, rainy Friday, and there was a long queue. The people at the polling station were very nice, but they were obliged to follow silly time-wasting rigmaroles. Where I live, I doubt very much that more than a few people voted Harper.
Okay, I just phoned the Elections Canada riding office. They said that the handwritten list is being done at the advance polls mainly to cross reference with the electronic list and check off those who have already voted so that the electronic list poll clerks receive on the 19th will be up to date. It's also being done as a safeguard against duplicate voting at the advance polls. A handwritten list will not be done on the 19th so that is why it wasn't covered in my training as I'm not working advance polls. Elections Canada have until Wednesday to produce the updated electronic list from after advance voting. Thanks, Simon, for your blog! Great stuff.
Thanks for this! Very kind of you to take the time :)
Thank you for your checking ”& time spent :)
it is extremely doubtful the Cons told elections canada to do anything. that is too big a thing to not get out into the news. What most likely happened is, as in most government departments, budgets were cut, senior staff made the best guesses they could based on past patterns and this time more people may have decided to vote, some may have been regular voters, but with so many older Canadians heading south by 18 Oct.. they decided to vote early. elections canada were simply over whelmed by the voters. no real big conspiracy, simply people guessed wrong.
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