Are you going to vote on TUESDAY (Canadian election!!!)?

[LQQK]

Canada is having an election on Tuesday, Oct 14 to pick a new prime minister or keep the current one!

Are you going to vote?

[board123]

Yes.

[molala]

pretty sure this is a repost

[G-DRAGON]

I'm not going to vote but I am working as a poll clerk.

[just_For_ipod]

For the people who are not voting, what makes you think they'll vote in the poll.:lol:

[board123]

For the people who are not voting, what makes you think they'll vote in the poll.:lol:
I know what you're trying to say here, but.........:confused:

[maebach]

yes, I think so. Im not sure where I go since Im at Uni.

[Shaner]

Yes. Even though my riding is as red as it gets, I will still be voting for the Conservatives. Gotta do my part.

[CSAgent]

I'm voting for Sarah Palin, she's such a maverick candidate!!

[cheapmeister]

I'm not going to bother voting cause I don't like any party this year.

[board123]

NDP, because they actually support net neutrality.

[Setz]

What do you need to vote anyways? Last election I was not old enough to vote, but now I am.

[M.D.]

I feel as being a Canadian citizen, I should vote to help choose the government I want!

[board123]

What do you need to vote anyways? Last election I was not old enough to vote, but now I am.
You should have received an election card in the mail back in September.

[Setz]

You should have received an election card in the mail back in September.

Do they give a new one each time there's an election? Both my parents received mail in regards to the election, but I did not.

[board123]

Do they give a new one each time there's an election? Both my parents received mail in regards to the election, but I did not.
Yes, you should get a new one every election since they're specialized for each election.

You should have gotten one if you're qualified. If you didn't, then...I don't really know why.

[abu_sme]

I'm voting even though the incumbent had 2x as many votes as all the other candidates combined last time around. I guess since I am voting for him though I shouldn't complain.

[xiLLeNtz]

i have been meaning to ask, where can i find all of the party platforms in one spot? too lazy to look for them individually ...

[_Allan_]

i have been meaning to ask, where can i find all of the party platforms in one spot? too lazy to look for them individually ...

each party has a site.
Many media sites will have bits of the platform, but you'll have to read each partys website.

[AcidBomber]

Nope, not voting. Must study for mid terms. :evil:

[Rishi]

Do they give a new one each time there's an election? Both my parents received mail in regards to the election, but I did not.
If you don't have a voter information card you can register at the poll with ID and proof of address. Alternatively someone who is a registered voter can vouch for you (you will both need to take an oath).

[heartsndanger]

Do they give a new one each time there's an election? Both my parents received mail in regards to the election, but I did not.

you can still vote, just show id with name and address, i believe.

[3weddings]

I'm not going to bother voting cause I don't like any party this year.

We'd better not hear ONE peep out of you when things go awry politically!!


Those 17 that said no.......the only acceptable reason is that you're NOT a Canadian citizen or NOT 18!!! I don't think being away at Uni is a valid excuse!! :mad:

[LQQK]

Any ID card or Canadian citizen card?

[Rishi]

Any ID card or Canadian citizen card?
Here's the full details:

http://www.elections.ca/content.asp?section=ele&dir=ids&document=index&lang=e&textonly=false

[3weddings]

Any ID card or Canadian citizen card?

It's not too late to register to vote, according to Elections Canada.

While most Canadians are already registered for Tuesday's general election, eligible electors who aren't on the list can still vote by providing valid identification at the polling station for their address.

When you can vote
Time zone Polls open (local time)
Newfoundland 8:30 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Atlantic 8:30 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Eastern 9:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Central 8:30 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Saskatchewan 7:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Mountain 7:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Pacific 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Source: Elections Canada

They could also register by taking an oath and having another registered voter in the same polling division vouch for them under oath.

In terms of physical ID, voters now have two choices:

* Government-issued photo ID with an address (but not a passport).
* Two pieces of ID without a photo, as long as one has your address. These can be bills, a health card or a library card.

Full details about the requirements to vote can be found on the Elections Canada website or by calling 1-800-463-6868.

[ottawasportsfan2010]

We'd better not hear ONE peep out of you when things go awry politically!!


Those 17 that said no.......the only acceptable reason is that you're NOT a Canadian citizen or NOT 18!!! I don't think being away at Uni is a valid excuse!! :mad:

Thats the issue people don't think its there duty to vote.

[googoo]

I completely agree with 3weddings

Brent

[confused student]

What do you need to vote anyways? Last election I was not old enough to vote, but now I am.
Find your polling station through www.elections.ca

Take your drivers licence and go vote :)

[Rishi]

We'd better not hear ONE peep out of you when things go awry politically!!


Those 17 that said no.......the only acceptable reason is that you're NOT a Canadian citizen or NOT 18!!! I don't think being away at Uni is a valid excuse!! :mad:
Voting should be mandatory like in Australia, but there should also be an option for a 'protest vote' - i.e. 'I am not satisfied with any of the candidates but still want my vote to count for something.'

[just_For_ipod]

Voting should be mandatory like in Australia, but there should also be an option for a 'protest vote' - i.e. 'I am not satisfied with any of the candidates but still want my vote to count for something.'

+1

[DaVibe]

I have classes downtown for the majority of the day while I live in North York, so I took the initiative to vote in advance.

Even though all eyes were on me, like they'd never seen a young person vote ... or maybe a young person vote in advance ... I did it.

[ahujie]

I have classes downtown for the majority of the day while I live in North York, so I took the initiative to vote in advance.

Even though all eyes were on me, like they'd never seen a young person vote ... or maybe a young person vote in advance ... I did it.


ditto that..I voted in the advance polls the last fed election and this one too..and people working there seemed genuinely surprised to see someone of my age voting ..well then again i'm 22, but often get mistaken for a teenager still haha

and the OP should add another option to the poll - I have already voted in the advance polls

seriously though, advance polls are the way to go..it took me literally 10 mins out of my day to vote, that includes round trip drive to the community centre..there was no line up, i was the only person there at the time i went!

[_Allan_]

As a Deputy Returning Officer - the person who hands you the ballot, and the person you hand it back to - I'll try to make this easy.

EVERYONE must prove their identity. Voters should bring their Drivers Lic., OR Their old GREEN Healthcard (the one they gave out till the beginning of this year, as the NEW Green doesn't have an address).

If you don't have a License, any GOVERNMENT issued ID + ONE Peice of mail - Hydro Bill, HOME Phone Bill, or Tax Return etc - will work.

If you don't have that, but have the Voter Information Card, you can swear an oath. If it's found out that you've voted more then once, you can be fined and/or put in jail... see Elections Canada Act (http://www.efc.ca/pages/law/canada/elections-excerpt.html). It's basically a perjury charge.


Anyway, be smart, take your Drivers Licence, Original Green Health Card (Ontario), OR Canadian Citizenship Card + one of the following:
Any peice of mail where your name and address are TYPED onto the envelope, and NOT hand written or on a sticker.

[user01]

~No but I am +18 & Canadian Citizen.

http://i38.tinypic.com/9068h1.jpg

[Aznsilvrboy]

Will be voting in my first election.

[Atheral]

I wish I could vote online...

[vanessie]

Yes I will be voting.

[untaka]

I have to work today so I can't vote :(

[Horndogg]

I have to work today so I can't vote :(

Aren't businesses suppose to give each employee time off to vote?

Yes I will vote today.

[red120]

Working in USA now, don't feel like flying back to vote.

[champlinD]

Working in USA now, don't feel like flying back to vote.

I have to work today so I can't vote :(
Yeah Right and you forgot about Advance voting?

I just finished voting. The worst part is the official at the booth is my neighbor.
She was opening every voted check whom you voted, tear the tag and then dropping in the box.
I was shocked at first and started laughing after a while.
Yes I complained to election Canada about this.

[Pete Jones]

Aren't businesses suppose to give each employee time off to vote?

Yes I will vote today.

Your employer is obliged to give you a 3 hour window to vote If you need it. That means that if you work 9-5, they don't need to do anything, but if you work 11:30-7:30, they need to be willing to accommodate you by letting you come in early or stay late. Note that this is at the employer's pleasure (meaning you can't demand they give you time off) and, contrary to what some people think, you do not get paid time off to vote.

However, you can be damn sure I'm voting, as I always do. I'm a believer in the adage that if you don't participate in the process, you can't complain about the outcome.

But even if you don't think your vote means anything (for example, you are in a riding dominated by one party and you support a different party) keep in mind that party funding is determined by the number of votes cast.

http://www.elections.ca/content.asp?section=gen&document=ec90532&dir=bkg&lang=e&textonly=false

Specifically, your vote is worth $1.75/year to the party you voted for. It may not sound like much, but multiply that by a few hundred thousand votes...

A valid vote never goes to waste.

The point I'm making is that no matter who you support, go out and show your support. It really does matter.

--Pete

[mgronqui]

Nah. I have a brochure outside my door that I've left there for how many days now :lol:

[Eyies]

Working in USA now, don't feel like flying back to vote.

You can do it via phone or mail if you really wanted to.

[Hairball]

I will be voting.

However this poll, it allows you to vote AND also not vote at the same time!

[Nikita]

Of course I'm going to vote.

[UrbanPoet]

i like voting. But my riding is pure liberal.....
But at least my party will get a $1 for my time lol

[whampoa]

Yeah Right and you forgot about Advance voting?

I just finished voting. The worst part is the official at the booth is my neighbor.
She was opening every voted check whom you voted, tear the tag and then dropping in the box.
I was shocked at first and started laughing after a while.
Yes I complained to election Canada about this.

Are you serious?

WTF, she is actually checking whom you and other voted for.

You should tell all the officials to stop what they are doing, and get this neighbor of yours away from her booth. Call the police or the media if necessary.

Apparently, she doesn't know what she is suppose to be doing or try to be cute.

We have a secret ballot for a reason. And is not for other to snoop around either.

[i6s1]

I voted on my way to work.

[LQQK]

Is it true that if you vote "wrongly", they will disqualify your vote?

You have to you use an "X" or check mark when marking the ballot

[champlinD]

Are you serious?

WTF, she is actually checking whom you and other voted for.

You should tell all the officials to stop what they are doing, and get this neighbor of yours away from her booth. Call the police or the media if necessary.

Apparently, she doesn't know what she is suppose to be doing or try to be cute.

We have a secret ballot for a reason. And is not for other to snoop around either.

Their Supervisor lives next to her. We all know each other for long long time.
Yes she was stopped immediately by others, and told not to do that. Anyway Election Canada has been notified. It up to them what to do.

[Dimension]

I voted! I was in and out of there in 10 minutes.

[Piccolo]

I completely agree with 3weddings

Brent

Me too!!! A spoiled ballet is better then not voting if you want to use the excuse "I dont like any party blah blah blah".

[Piccolo]

Is it true that if you vote "wrongly", they will disqualify your vote?

You have to you use an "X" or check mark when marking the ballot
It's called spoiled ballet and they will count it as such. It's like saying "none of the above", but you are still a voter.

[kingsley]

Who keeps voting for NDP? God....

[board123]

I voted! I was in and out of there in 10 minutes.
Even though there was only 1 person in front of me in line, she had some issue with her identity (name change due to marriage) and I had to wait a while. I could have been in and out in 2 minutes if it wasn't for that. I went at 2:30 and the whole school gym was pretty much empty.

[scouzer]

i did not vote. no point. conservatives have won in my riding since the beginning of time

as of right now it's 10,500 conservative, 2000 every other party combined.

[Simkins]

i did not vote. no point. conservatives have won in my riding since the beginning of time

as of right now it's 10,500 conservative, 2000 every other party combined.

Thats the attitude that allows ridings to remain consistant for decades.

[Justin]

So close to a majority, but not close enough. What a waste of an election. Same thing as before

[scouzer]

Thats the attitude that allows ridings to remain consistant for decades.

i am a conservative, so i didn't say i wanted change! it's just pointless for me to spend a half hour on a sure thing.

[cheapmeister]

I didn't vote as I stated earlier in this thread and I kept my promise:cheesygri I think the mods removed one of my posts about the reasons why I choose not to vote. Anyway I went to Wendys instead and had a tasty burger. BTW I have no idea who was the previous rep in my area as I moved and I don't know the past.

[Rishi]

It's called spoiled ballet and they will count it as such. It's like saying "none of the above", but you are still a voter.
Wrong, spoiled ballots are discarded and it is an offence under the Canada Elections Act to spoil your ballot.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060121/eating_ballot_060122

[phomp]

For people that have no idea about anything to do with politics or to do with anything really Canadian, then who cares if they do not vote? Usually if they decide to vote, they get an opinion from a friend who probably got theirs from a friend.. lol.

I remember when I was in college a buddy told me he was voting NDP because they promised cheaper car insurance for young people..:o

[amana]

I just finished voting. The worst part is the official at the booth is my neighbor.
She was opening every voted check whom you voted, tear the tag and then dropping in the box.
I was shocked at first and started laughing after a while.
Yes I complained to election Canada about this.

I hope you're making this up!! She should be in serious trouble otherwise!!

If you didn't vote then you've forfeited your right to complain!

The attitude that my vote won't count is why the same parties win their respective riding over and over!

[Dash]

honestly, the whole election seemed like a big waste of time and money. The only real question was whether the Tories were going to get that majority, and they didn't. For me, there's no change from today, as there was yesterday.

[ottawasportsfan2010]

I didn't vote as I stated earlier in this thread and I kept my promise:cheesygri I think the mods removed one of my posts about the reasons why I choose not to vote. Anyway I went to Wendys instead and had a tasty burger. BTW I have no idea who was the previous rep in my area as I moved and I don't know the past.

You do know you have no right to complain if you do not vote.

[branat]

I demand a recount for my riding. 60% voted for the parties that advocated carbon taxes but most of the riders drove SUV to the voting booths. That's unpossible.

[Peckerwood]

You do know you have no right to complain if you do not vote.
Why? Is he not a Canadian Citizen?

[ottawasportsfan2010]

Why? Is he not a Canadian Citizen?

When you don't vote you have no right to complain.

[Derfel]

A huge waste of $280 million at a time that the country needs every penny. Way to put your personal ambitions ahead of the country, Harper. Breaking your own law just to fail again.

[Peckerwood]

When you don't vote you have no right to complain.
You said that already...repeating yourself won't expound upon your point.

Are you suggesting that the governing body in power won't have any affect on him if he decides not to vote. Or are you suggesting that voting is part of the problem and therefore putting people in power gives you the right to complain about everything they do, because they are obviously going to screw up?

[phomp]

A huge waste of $280 million at a time that the country needs every penny. Way to put your personal ambitions ahead of the country, Harper. Breaking your own law just to fail again.

Some would contest that he did not actually fail completely.


I do have a question though, since Harper called an election and won does that mean he starts a "new term"? Lets say Layton won, he would have a full term, correct?


I have a family member who has always voted conservative, with the whole income trust renag Harper pulled he said he would never vote for that party again, which left me thinking what options were left for a conservative voter?.. In my riding there was only 3 parties running.. the big 3. The Green canidate was still on the ballot but she dropped out weeks ago.

[phomp]

You said that already...repeating yourself won't expound upon your point.

Are you suggesting that the governing body in power won't have any affect on him if he decides not to vote. Or are you suggesting that voting is part of the problem and therefore putting people in power gives you the right to complain about everything they do, because they are obviously going to screw up?

I do not know if I agree with the person you are responding to, but what I think he means is that because as a citizen of Canada you did not participate in voting, then when a party gets in that does things you may not agree with.. then you have no right to complain because you did not participate in not voting for someone else.

The thing is imo, a lot of people who do not vote do not know much about politics or care for politics and are going to complain regardless. Then you have people who do not vote because they say all the parties are the same crap or none of them are good..raw raw raw and they are going to be cynical no matter what anyway so for the people that do not vote.. I saw screw em, who cares. (Unless you are just to lazy to vote, in that case.. I pity).

[Peckerwood]

It isn't as if I don't understand the flawed logic of that previous poster. I simply happen to know plenty of people that refuse to vote simply because there are no candidates/parties that reflect their views.

I agree with them. Myself I voted despite the fact that there were no Libertarian candidates in my riding(not that we haven't tried to convince some to run under that banner).

I have one other thought...if I don't vote does that mean that i no longer have to pay taxes then? Cause since I don't have a right to complain then I guess I shouldn't have to pay for the abuse either. Hmmmm ;)

[Horndogg]

A huge waste of $280 million at a time that the country needs every penny. Way to put your personal ambitions ahead of the country, Harper. Breaking your own law just to fail again.

I agree!

[Pete Jones]

I have one other thought...if I don't vote does that mean that i no longer have to pay taxes then? Cause since I don't have a right to complain then I guess I shouldn't have to pay for the abuse either. Hmmmm ;)

Yeah! Right! :cheesygri

Think of it this way. You're going to have to pay the taxes anyway, so why not participate in the process of choosing the government that decides on _how much_ taxes you'll get dinged for?

Apathy, by it's very nature, suggests complacency.

--Pete

[Evil Baby]

A huge waste of $280 million at a time that the country needs every penny. Way to put your personal ambitions ahead of the country, Harper. Breaking your own law just to fail again.

It is a lot of money, but the opposition parties were becoming more hostile towards the Conservatives. It was getting more and more difficult for Harper to get anything done. If the opposition was unwilling to work with the leading party not much in parliament is going to get done.

[jopojo]

'If you don't vote, you don't have the right to complain"

I didn't and I won't :cheesygri

[Pete Jones]

A huge waste of $280 million at a time that the country needs every penny. Way to put your personal ambitions ahead of the country, Harper. Breaking your own law just to fail again.

Not at all. With the current distribution of seats, a non-confidence vote would require pretty much unanimous support from the opposition. Let's face it, the Liberals aren't ready for another election and the other two are really non-starters anyway.

Harper can pretty much run the show as if he had a majority with impunity.

--Pete

[maebach]

voted yesterday night. it was much easier than I thought it would be. the lineup was really long though

[blexann]

the election was a BIG waste of our tax dollars

[skyblue12]

voted yesterday night. it was much easier than I thought it would be. the lineup was really long though

same here.. but the line was long for our area only.. the other areas were all open -_-"

hey, is anybody here actually in the etobicoke north area? i found out that my health studies professor actually won for that area..

[CheapScotsman]

From http://www.cbc.ca/news/canadavotes/story/2008/10/15/voter-turnout.html

Voter turnout drops to record low

An estimated 59.1 per cent of Canadians cast votes in Tuesday's general election — a figure that appears to be a record low in the history of Confederation. A total of 13,832,972 votes were cast nationally of the 23,401,064 registered electors

If you voted and your party won then you don't have any right to complain, this is what you wanted by your vote.

If you voted and your party didn't win then you don't have any right to complain cause this is the will of the people and your minority view doesn't count

If you didn't vote then you have no right to complain as you didn't participate in the process

[phomp]

same here.. but the line was long for our area only.. the other areas were all open -_-"

hey, is anybody here actually in the etobicoke north area? i found out that my health studies professor actually won for that area..

I live just South of the border between Etobicoke North and Etobicoke Central.

The Liberal canidate won in Etobicoke North I am assuming..

[Derfel]

It is a lot of money, but the opposition parties were becoming more hostile towards the Conservatives. It was getting more and more difficult for Harper to get anything done. If the opposition was unwilling to work with the leading party not much in parliament is going to get done.

But it was the Conservatives that were stalling the committees, in some cases not even showing up. So they were the ones making government "dysfunctional" to begin with.

I think this is a huge fail for Harper - three elections, one loss and two minorities.

[phomp]

Compare that to the Liberals and we see who really fails..:lol:

[lochlan651]

Breaking your own law just to fail again.

Which LAW is that?
The one that the still had not passed the LIBERAL Senate before dissolution??

Its not law until it receives Royal Assent.

[matdwyer]

Anyone watch ctv last night? I found it hillarious when dion had the ctv reporter pushed out of the way, and then said somethign along the lines of "ctv is the last network I'll ever talk to"...

Talk about loosing your composure! :lol:

[UncleSteve]

Which LAW is that?
The one that the still had not passed the LIBERAL Senate before dissolution??

Its not law until it receives Royal Assent.

Bill C-16 received Royal Assent on May 3, 2007.

However, this election still does not violate the law, since the law states:


56.1 (1) Nothing in this section affects the powers of the Governor General, including the power to dissolve Parliament at the Governor General’s discretion.

Taking away the GG's right to dissolve Parliament, despite the fact that it would be at the PM's request would be unconstitutional.

[pintobean]

Anyone watch ctv last night? I found it hillarious when dion had the ctv reporter pushed out of the way, and then said somethign along the lines of "ctv is the last network I'll ever talk to"...

Talk about loosing your composure! :lol:
Yes I was watching when that happened.

I think his exact words were something like: "The last person I first talk would be CTV".

I know English is his second language, but I think it's ridiculous that a career politician like Dion would have such a poor command of the English language. I mean Preston Manning learned French from scratch in a couple of years, so you'd think that Dion would have been taking English conversation lessons in the run-up to the leadership convention that he won... I think his poor English is a big reason why his party went down so badly.

It was even funnier when the reporter kept walking right beside Dion while loudly telling Lloyd Robertson that Stephane was obviously still upset about the flubbed interview that CTV aired and that he usually demonstrated more integrity... :lol:

[pintobean]

I'm a Conservative, but I have to agree with those who are saying that Harper broke the law by calling this election...

No matter how you spin it, the bottom line is that his calling of the election when the polls were in his favour is exactly the kind of action that he had hoped to prevent by instituting this law.

From a personal perspective though, it is obvious to me that the law has no real teeth, so it doesn't really bother me that it was "broken".

If Harper had wanted to call an election without "breaking the law", all he had to do was propose a new bill and make it a confidence motion. For example, he could have proposed a bill to completely eliminate the GST and made it a confidence motion. This would have surely been voted down by the Liberals and the NDP and voila...we would have been forced into an election without any complaints of laws being broken.

[branat]

http://www.keebler.net/blog/2008/10/15/dion-i-wont-talk-to-ctv/

Dion finally grew a pair maybe I should have voted ... only if he did that during the elections.

Was that a do-over?

[Shaner]

The Liberals are angry that CTV aired that original video, but isn't that the point of the media, to let us citizens know what's going on?

If Dion is so poor at the English language that he can't even understand a simple question and can't answer it without someone writing a script for him, that is something Canadians need to know prior to an election.

No matter how poor an interview goes, no matter what is said or isn't said, it should be shown to us. Politicians shouldn't have the right to tell the media what can and can't be shown on TV.

[Peckerwood]

The Liberals are angry that CTV aired that original video, but isn't that the point of the media, to let us citizens know what's going on?

If Dion is so poor at the English language that he can't even understand a simple question and can't answer it without someone writing a script for him, that is something Canadians need to know prior to an election.

No matter how poor an interview goes, no matter what is said or isn't said, it should be shown to us. Politicians shouldn't have the right to tell the media what can and can't be shown on TV.
100% agreed

Hell, Duceppe has a better grasp of the English language.

[Eyies]

I think the whole CTV interview with Dion was a bit sensationalized by the media.

The question itself was a bit trickey in how it was asked and sorta logically incoherent. Especially with a person whom english isn't their native tongue I understand how it would've been confusing. Hell, even I'm not exactly sure what the interviewer was asking

"If you were the prime minister now what would you have done?"

So time was what does that really mean.. What he would've done if he was the prime minister of the last term? What does he plan to do if elected? Or if he is the prime minister right at this moment what would he be doing?

The interviewer made pretty poor usage of tenses, and I personally am not surprised Dion had no idea what he was asking.

Either ask:
"If you were the elected instead of Harper in the previous term, what would you have done?"
or
"If you were presently prime minster, what would you be doing..."
or
"What will you do, if you are elected prime minister?.."

[MrDisco]

The Liberals are angry that CTV aired that original video, but isn't that the point of the media, to let us citizens know what's going on?

Not when the media outlet promises not to air the video (which is different than the party demanding them not to air it). They broke that trust for no reason other than to get a ratings boost.

I can't even begin to guess how many interviews are done over. Should we air them all, even the one's where it's the media screwing up?

Frankly that question was so poorly worded that I wonder between the two who has a better grasp of the English language.

[Peckerwood]

well his own words bit him

1:20 in
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoGyHdzhvMQ

versus what Harper did

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pagi0KpwWNk&feature=related
"Who the heck is Avery Adams?" I asked myself this when I watched the clips

I had no idea until I noticed the microphone with "This hour has 22 minutes" on the side.

I am sure that she was detained simply because she was relatively unknown. I mean seriously; she's no Marg Delahunty

http://images.theglobeandmail.com/archives/RTGAM/images/20040112/wharp112/marg2.jpg

[CoolBear]

Voted last night.

Check out how close the race was: http://enr.elections.ca/ElectoralDistricts_e.aspx?type=1&criteria=n2v3h5

[_Allan_]

Is it true that if you vote "wrongly", they will disqualify your vote?
You have to you use an "X" or check mark when marking the ballot

It's called spoiled ballet and they will count it as such. It's like saying "none of the above", but you are still a voter.

I wish people would get facts right.
A spoiled ballot is one that DOES NOT go into the ballot box. For example, John Doe makes a mistake, he is given ONE "do over", and if he makes a mistake again, it's too bad.

However, if a person rips up, or otherwise destroys their ballow the Deputy Returning Officer has a Warrant for Arrest in their papers, and they are authorized to fill it out, contact police, and have the offender arrested.

A REJECTED ballot is one that is a) NOT marked at all b) marked more then once or c) marked in a manner not allowed, and DOES go into the ballot box.
I will give examples of the four I rejected last night.
1 - completly empty, no markings at all.
2 - Person did a 1,2,3,4 on the order they liked the candidates *L*
3 - another person marked the wrong person, scribbled it out, checked the correct name but also circled the name.
4 - a Person put three x's and one check mark.

All four were rejected, only one was contested by a Candidates Representative. I told him flat out, that it was wrong, and as DRO, my decision if final, and he could report me. He changed his mind, and my returning officer agreed with my decision.

If you have ANY questions about the voting process from someone WORKING AT THE POLLS, ask, and I'll answer as best I can. I do have my manuals that I can look in (I was an Information Officer for advance polls, and DRO for the Election Day).

[Canuck32]

Wrong, spoiled ballots are discarded and it is an offence under the Canada Elections Act to spoil your ballot.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060121/eating_ballot_060122

We're getting terminology mixed-up here. It is not a crime to mark a ballot in such a way that makes it impossible to determine voter intention, such as by marking in the space for two or more candidates. It is a crime to somehow alter the physical structure of the ballot itself by doing something like ripping or eating the ballot.

I don't agree with the practice, but there's nothing wrong with spoiling a ballot.

[Canuck32]

I do have a question though, since Harper called an election and won does that mean he starts a "new term"? Lets say Layton won, he would have a full term, correct?


The government has a new mandate.

The Constitution Act states that a House of Commons may not sit for longer than five years from the return of the writs, so there must by-law be an election within five years. In practice, Prime Ministers tend to call elections within four years.

Harper did pass legislation setting mandatory election dates that typically occur within four years. My interpretation is that this legislation doesn't have much constitutional validity, as Parliament is still dissolved by the Governor General on advice of the Prime Minister (which could occur whenever he/she wants or when there is a vote of non-confidence).

[Canuck32]

If Harper had wanted to call an election without "breaking the law", all he had to do was propose a new bill and make it a confidence motion. For example, he could have proposed a bill to completely eliminate the GST and made it a confidence motion. This would have surely been voted down by the Liberals and the NDP and voila...we would have been forced into an election without any complaints of laws being broken.

Or the opposition parties don't show up and Harper passes the asinine legislation. Or the legislation is voted down and Harper still visits the Governor General to dissolve Parliament, a requirement caused by his actions.

Please give the electorate a little more credit.

[Canuck32]

All four were rejected, only one was contested by a Candidates Representative. I told him flat out, that it was wrong, and as DRO, my decision if final, and he could report me. He changed his mind, and my returning officer agreed with my decision.


I highly doubt your RO was available at that point to make such a ruling. Remember the supervisor at the poll is not the returning officer.

While the decision of the DRO is final for the purposes of the count, you do have a formal procedure in your manual to go through should a candidate's representative contest a ballot. Correct me if I'm wrong, but is there not a special envelope for such contested ballots to go into?

I've scrutineered a number of times since the 1997 election. While I have only contested one ballot over these elections, I would contest any ballot where I feel that a) the voter's intention is clear, and b) the intention was in favour of my candidate. I will do this even if I know the ballot is likely to be rejected by the RO.

[_Allan_]

I highly doubt your RO was available at that point to make such a ruling. Remember the supervisor at the poll is not the returning officer.

While the decision of the DRO is final for the purposes of the count, you do have a formal procedure in your manual to go through should a candidate's representative contest a ballot. Correct me if I'm wrong, but is there not a special envelope for such contested ballots to go into?

I've scrutineered a number of times since the 1997 election. While I have only contested one ballot over these elections, I would contest any ballot where I feel that a) the voter's intention is clear, and b) the intention was in favour of my candidate. I will do this even if I know the ballot is likely to be rejected by the RO.


As I wrote, I rejected the ballot. I didn't contact my RO right away, but at 12:30am when I returned my box, and had a talk with my RO, he asked how it went, and I explained what happened, and what the ballot looked like, and he agreed 100% that I was right in rejecting it as it had three marks on the ballot.

When I explained to the scruiteneer that there was a special envelope, and he would have to sign said envelope etc (as it's written in the manual) for the contested ballot he waved me off saying he was 'too busy to bother'.

[Evil Baby]

But it was the Conservatives that were stalling the committees, in some cases not even showing up. So they were the ones making government "dysfunctional" to begin with.

I think this is a huge fail for Harper - three elections, one loss and two minorities.

I'm not saying their not to blame at all, but one has to remember that they were the leading party and 3 opposition parties were less and less willing to push through the Conservative agenda. Now of couse in a minority government all parties must work together but it gets to a point where the Conservatives were no longer able to push the policies they wanted. Now they have more power and no party for the short period at least is really going to challange them.

[Peckerwood]

the election was a BIG waste of our tax dollars
300 million for an election... The gun registry wastes that amount every 3 years.

I can only hope that it's removal is included in the next budget vote.